From The Editor’s Desk: How ‘The Post’ covers #MuslimBan on a college campus

It’s difficult to determine whether there’s a reporter out there who isn’t attempting to cover President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning travelers from entering the U.S. from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, in addition to banning refugee admissions for 120 days and Syrian admissions altogether.

It’s one of those stories that impacts everyone, whether they are in full support of the executive order that affects Muslim-majority countries, or staunchly against it. Both schools of thought exist on Ohio University’s campus, and Post reporters spent the most recent weekend thinking of how to properly convey that to our readers.

Our social media editor Hannah Wintucky was whipping up posts on Facebook and Twitter to solicit opinions Sunday, and our reporters were contacting anyone who might have been affected.

Without any prompting, Post photographers Lauren Bacho and Matt Starkey drove to the airport in Columbus to cover protests. President Roderick McDavis released a statement on Sunday night that recommended OU students from the aforementioned seven countries not leave the United States. Our editors were thinking back to the Yemeni student Post reporter Jessica Hill had written about earlier this academic year.

By Monday afternoon, a freshman reporter, Abbey Marshall, was out covering a protest in front of Baker Center, organized by Iranian students.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that through covering Athens’ small-town events and OU students, Post reporters, photographers and videographers are attempting to document a tiny slice of the world. When news breaks across the country — or the globe — it is somehow felt on OU’s diverse, globally known campus.

Covering our international student population, perhaps, is something we could improve upon. Our culture staff already has taken on this “beat” dozens of times since I’ve been a part of this talented staff.

Like most reporters, we tend to come together under pressure. Breaking news fuels our engines. But in moments of calm — if there are any this year — how could we cover those tiny slices of the world that exist on OU’s campus just a bit better?

Emma Ockerman is a senior studying journalism and editor-in-chief of The Post. Want to talk to her? Email her at eo300813@ohio.edu or tweet her @eockerman.