Author

Issac J. Bailey

@ijbailey

Issac Bailey, a 2014 Nieman Fellow, is a journalist, race relations seminar creator and facilitator, and the author of “Why Didn’t We Riot? A Black Man in Trumpland” (Other Press, October 2020). He is also the author of “My Brother Moochie: Regaining Dignity in the Face of Crime, Poverty, and Racism in the American South” (Other Press, 2018). He has contributed to Politico, CNN.com, Time, and The Washington Post. He is a former columnist and senior writer for The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and he was a 2011 recipient of a Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for stories about a child protection case. The state subsequently revamped the way it handles such cases.

Challenging Traditional Views of Objectivity Is Not a Call to Lower Standards But to Reexamine Them

Challenging Traditional Views of Objectivity Is Not a Call to Lower Standards But to Reexamine Them

The New York Times story about internal struggles at the ACLU. is an illustration of the futility of clinging to “objectivity.” It parallels the wrestling over the First Amendment and…
Adam Toledo, Bodycam Footage, and Coverage of Police Shootings

Adam Toledo, Bodycam Footage, and Coverage of Police Shootings

I started the video at about 5:01 and just let it play, as part of my Exploring Fake News journalism class at Davidson College this past semester.The video was captured…
During Covid, Journalists Were Less Packaged. Let’s Keep It That Way

During Covid, Journalists Were Less Packaged. Let’s Keep It That Way

To ensure a healthier industry filled with healthier people, newsrooms must take the whole of the journalist into account in ways that weren’t always true pre-pandemic
The Complexity of Reporting on Age, Race, and the Covid-19 Vaccine

The Complexity of Reporting on Age, Race, and the Covid-19 Vaccine

Something journalists need to better convey to our audiences: Because of demographic realities, prioritizing age in Covid-19 vaccination efforts is akin to prioritizing white Americans.White people live longer on average…
Public Exchanges on Race Are Healthy for News Outlets and Audiences

Public Exchanges on Race Are Healthy for News Outlets and Audiences

I’ve been stuck on the discussion about the resignation of New York Times science reporter Donald McNeil Jr. for the past few days. I don’t have a firm opinion on…
The Extremist Mob at the U.S. Capitol was America, Too

The Extremist Mob at the U.S. Capitol was America, Too

We began Donald Trump’s presidency debating whether it was fair to call lies lies, even though we knew he was the most prolific political liar of modern times.We end it…
What Journalists Can — and Can’t — Do about Media Distrust

What Journalists Can — and Can’t — Do about Media Distrust

There is a significant percentage of Americans who will always distrust us no matter how well our pieces are written, how compelling our broadcasts, how high the stack of documents…
What the "Today" Show Clip of Biden’s "George" Remark Really Shows

What the “Today” Show Clip of Biden’s “George” Remark Really Shows

The “Today” show used an out-of-context clip spread by the Trump campaign to raise questions about Joe Biden’s mental capabilities. While the show has since issued a correction, it reminded…
How to Report—or Not Report—on Biden’s Stutter

How to Report—or Not Report—on Biden’s Stutter

There was a time I dreamed of debating Rush Limbaugh. I wanted to face and rhetorically take down the famed talk show host the way I loved catching touchdown passes…
Navigating Racial Tension in The Newsroom

Navigating Racial Tension in The Newsroom

In “Why Didn’t We Riot? A Black Man in Trumpland,” published October 6 by Other Press, Issac J. Bailey reflects on what it means to be a Black man in…