Page Text: ‘They Dropped the Ball’: Workers React to MTA’s COVID-19 Response
Deb Pastner
Deb Pastner is director of photo and multimedia at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, where she manages a 21-person department of photographers, videographers and editors. During her seven-year tenure as director, her department’s work has been recognized by World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International (POYi,) the Edward R. Murrow Awards and the Online News Association. She additionally has been named one of the best visual editors by both POYi and the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). Before joining the Star Tribune, Pastner was a photographer at newspapers in Massachusetts, Washington and Michigan.
She is examining how the racial reckoning in the wake of George Floyd’s death has altered the relationship between photojournalists and their subjects. She will explore ways to reframe and renew that association.
@dpastner (Instagram)
Jonathan Rabb
Jonathan Rabb is a journalist and entrepreneur. After researching digital audience development as a Fulbright journalism grantee, he founded Watch The Yard , a digital platform for Black college students and alumni, to tell authentic stories about, with and for the Black community. The NAACP has called the site, which reaches over 20 million people monthly, the “central digital voice for today’s Black experience.” Motivated by his own reporting on stories of racist violence, Rabb founded ClutchSOS , a security app at the intersection of tech and activism that is now serving his South Minneapolis community in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As a 2021 Nieman Visiting Fellow , he researched revenue models for minority-owned media companies.
He is examining the use of virtual reality for journalism, with a focus on creating ethical and inclusive practices when using 360-degree video technologies to cover marginalized groups.
@jonathanrabb (Instagram)
Gabrielle Schonder
Gabrielle Schonder , a producer and reporter for “Frontline” and the Kirk Documentary Group, covers national affairs, foreign policy and national security. In 2020, she directed “ NRA Under Fire ” and produced “ The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden ,” part of PBS’s ongoing election-year series. Her work on the previous installment, “ The Choice 2016 ,” was recognized with an Emmy Award. Prior to joining PBS, Schonder was a producer at “60 Minutes.” Her coverage of the 2015 Paris attacks for the program also received an Emmy Award. Her groundbreaking report about insider trading by members of Congress led to the passage of the STOCK Act .
She is studying innovations in reporting methods for documentary filmmakers and examining the intersection of media, technology and policy to find ways to combat distrust and misinformation.
Jim Urquhart
Jim Urquhart is a Colorado-based photojournalist who reports from across the U.S. Previously a staff photojournalist at The Salt Lake Tribune in Utah, he has been freelancing for 10 years for clients that include Reuters and NPR. For the last seven years, his main focus has been extremism, hate groups and anti-government militias. He also works as a consultant and reporter for several news organizations seeking to improve their sourcing and security while covering the far right.
He is strengthening his understanding of the rapid rise of right-wing extremism, studying the history of far-right violence and the writings and political and social concepts that inspire militants.