The coronavirus pandemic has affected several aspects of the presidential election, including journalism. I recently spoke with two political reporters from two of the largest newspapers in Southern California. Arit John reports for the Los Angeles Times, and Brooke Staggs files stories for The Orange County Register.
John, who has been a reporter for eight years, is covering the presidential election. Staggs, who has been a reporter since 2006, mostly covers state and local elections. Both journalists are covering the presidential race between Republican incumbent Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.
The reporters’ responses to my questions below have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.