Protest Stories Are Education Stories

For education reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez of KPCC, Southern California Public Radio, life has been “an emotional roller coaster” since he was shot in the throat by police with a rubber bullet. The incident happened May 31 in Long Beach, where Guzman-Lopez was covering a protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Guzman-Lopez shares insights on why protest stories are education stories, and why this is an opportunity for education journalists to tap their sources and bring their beat experience into play. How can journalists develop nuanced and in-depth stories on the underlying issues fueling the public outrage? What should higher education reporters be thinking about in covering both the protests and the continued fiscal fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic? And what are the opportunities and challenges for education journalists covering racial inequities in both communities and the schools that serve them?