NYT dedicates its entire first page to a list of 1,000 COVID-19 victims

With almost 100,000 deaths of COVID-19 reported in the United States, The New York Times dedicated the entire first page to a list of 1,000 COVID-19 victims, or one percent of the U.S. death toll. It means that the focus should be on each of the victims rather than on the number.

Titled “U.S. deaths near 100,000, an incalculable loss,” the first page writes says in a subtitle, “They were not simply names on a list. They were us.” The death notice starts with Patricia Dowd, the first COVID-19 victim in the United States, after which names of other victims are shown followed by brief descriptions such as “great-grandmother with an easy laugh” and “wife with little time to enjoy a new marriage.”

“Both among ourselves and perhaps in the general reading public, there’s a little bit of a fatigue with the data,” said Simone Landon, assistant editor of the Graphics desk. The intent was to convey the tragedies of each single victim by listing their names, according to him.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the golf field despite a series of tragic stories unfolding across the country. He played golf for three and a half hours on Saturday at his Trump National golf club in Sterling, Virginia, a 30-minute drive away from the White House, Bloomberg News reported. It has been 76 days since he visited the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 8. President Trump and his company were not seen wearing a mask.

President Trump intends to show his determination to ease movement limits and get the economy back to normal, analyzed The Washington Post. In an unscheduled press conference on Friday, President Trump declared churches, mosques and synagogues “essential services.” He announced a plan to partially resume economic activities as New York State, one of the hardest-hit regions, reported 84 deaths on Saturday, the lowest since March 24. However, The Wall Street Journal expressed concerns that the number of confirmed cases would possibly spike again as beaches and other public places are likely to be filled with travelers who enjoy the Memorial Day weekend.


jyr0101@donga.com