Coronavirus In Chicago: How CBS 2 Is Telling The Story With 'Social Distancing' In And Out Of Our Newsroom

Social distancing.

Self Quarantining.

Pandemic.

Words and phrases we never expected to need to use. Let alone in the same sentence and for who knows how long.

We at CBS 2 are not immune to the dangers of COVID-19. Many of my colleagues spend their days outside interacting with strangers. They get within six feet of them. They touch them to put microphones on their lapels. They shake hands. Even those of us in the newsroom are not immune. We touch the same door handles, elevator buttons, computer keyboards and phones. We had to take action. For the safety of ourselves, our families, and to do the right thing for the community we serve to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

This is being written not to brag or look for a pat on the back. Hardly. It's simply to tell the story. In this time of uncertainty, our job, more than ever, is to inform. People need to know the facts, and we don't take that responsibility lightly. Our goal is to provide what you need to keep you and your family safe. It's that simple. Every news organization is ramping up coverage, adding staffing and taking extraordinary measures right now. And it's not in the name of ratings and revenue. It's community service in the name of safety and security.  Those are the facts. To say COVID-19 has adjusted how we operate is an understatement. We've been asked repeatedly how we are delivering news while staying safe. What follows is a look at that very question.

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Our newsroom has done disaster planning in the past. But the planning for COVID-19 began in earnest last week. By last Friday, about half of our employees remained out of the office. That means producers like myself working from home. That number increased even more this week.

Reporters and photographers team up out in the field, and avoid the CBS 2 Broadcast Center in the Loop. The idea is by keeping as many people out of the newsroom as possible we are reducing the number of people who would be infected should anyone test positive. By today, perhaps 25% of CBS 2 News employees are allowed in the building. The rest of us are explicitly banned from entering. That number will get even smaller later this week. Just like the rest of the United States, we have a simple goal: stay away from each other to avoid spreading the virus.

Viewers likely began to notice some differences during Monday's broadcasts.

Anchors Irika Sargent and Brad Edwards normally share the desk in the studio. Not anymore. Management decided we must practice what we preach and keep them far apart. So, for now, you'll see Irika on the set in our first floor studio.

"As we cover the COVID-19 pandemic, every day presents unprecedented challenges. But we know how important it is to be there for our viewers. At times like this, you realize how much you value the connection you have to your colleagues, who are also your friends, when they sit right next to you, when you can look them in their eyes. We still have a bond, from a distance now. So we continue to work to make the newscasts just as strong and seamless wherever we are," Irika says.

Brad is isolated two floors above, sitting alone at a camera in the newsroom.

"Monday, COVID-19 became real. Every day, my comfort zone is with my comrades -- especially Irika and Mary Kay at 5, 6 & 10. Day in, day out. This pandemic became real. And it stunk. It's gonna stink -- for some time. COVID-19 is gonna remind us of a lot of lot that we take for granted," Brad says.

And for meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist, she was not just out of the studio but out of the building. Viewers are used to seeing Mary Kay delivering the weather live from the field on occasion, but usually for an obvious reason: from a community festival or covering a natural disaster or to showcase something related to the weather. But in this case, Mary Kay left to test our systems in case our building was shut down and CBS 2 needed to present the news offsite. It also kept the anchors separated as much as possible.

"It makes sense to keep our distance from each other to stay healthy. But when we tried it, I have to say I felt a little lost without Brad & Irika right beside me on set as I told my weather story. As a team, we build each other up through our energy. I really missed that. My biggest challenge was the distance from our super-computer in the weather center. It was incredibly challenging to not use it when forecasting or broadcasting. Luckily our Mobile Weather Lab has its own weather station on board to help me tell my story on air," Mary Kay says.

Normally our team of reporters, photographers, producers and managers meet and collaborate in the newsroom. But with social distancing and remote working, isolation is the name of the game.

Instead of doing an in-person interview, photojournalist Scott Placko set up this camera to capture Charlie de Mar conducting a Skype interview from an apartment. Charlie was interviewing a woman who can't visit her mom in hospice because of COVID-19 restrictions. "That really puts this whole situation in perspective. None of us have ever experienced anything like this in our lifetimes. And hopefully never will again," Charlie said.

Reporter Marissa Parra also began her work day at home. She often works alone, shooting and editing her own stories, so she is even more isolated than some others at CBS 2.

"Working from home means trying to do what we did before but with fewer resources and more obstacles. My car and my apartment are my new home on this temporarily lonely solo news adventure. But that's OK! I take pride in my job and know this is when people need information most. I'm interacting with a lot of people and trying hard to keep myself and everyone else safe around me by keeping a safe distance and disinfecting everything twice over. The last thing I want to do is get someone else sick," Marissa says.

Reporter Dana Kozlov notes it is not uncommon for reporters and photographers to spend time together in a live truck. "But what is uncommon, for now, is this is the only real office we have. I am trying to work from home as much as possible, and meet a photographer in the field. But once we have to join forces to shoot and edit a story, the live truck it is. Those are now my only two workspaces; my home and the truck," Dana notes, while working with photojournalist Mark Losiniecki.

Chris Tye and photojournalist Alfredo Roman worked out of this live truck, their work station for the day, with nowhere else to go. Chris points out the realities of anyone who has to work out in the field: It's getting harder and harder to find a place to get water and wash your hands or use the bathroom.

And it's not just on-air folks affected by the partial shutdown of our newsroom. Producer Carol Thomspon normally works with the CBS 2 Investigators, physically close to the team. Now, she's working at home in the suburbs. Here's her setup, which her brother told her "Looks official!"

I'm working from home, and along with my fellow managers, trying to stay as connected as possible. We've gotten a crash course on apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to communicate. That's in addition to text and email and phone calls of course. While it's certainly not ideal, nothing is ideal about this situation. We at CBS 2, just like employees of hospitals and governments and restaurants and stores, are trying to do our best to social distance while doing our small part to help during the crisis.

Web Producer Adam Harrington got sentimental about working from home in the midst of this worldwide crisis.

"A CBS laptop on my bedroom desk is now an outpost of the CBS Chicago web department. So far, it's been working out pretty well -- we have access to most of the programs we normally use in the newsroom, though not all -- and we have effective means of communication between each other. The biggest challenge is just keeping focused and getting used to the new setup, and also just how quiet it is working alone in my apartment when I'm used to the energy of the newsroom. Meanwhile, I think my bedroom has some credence as an outpost of CBS 2. Behind those candles is a brick from our old building at 630 N. McClurg Court," Adam says.

CBS 2 graphic designer Julia Dourgarian created a pro & con list about working from home. Here's the reality of life for so many of us these days.

Pros:

I get to be coworkers with my roommates

I can listen to music

PJs/sweatpants everyday, all day

So much more sunlight and plants for good vibes.

Cons:

Cannot bike/commute to work, feeling very cooped up/low energy. We are scheduling walking breaks to stay active.

Remote access is super slow- all projects take about 4x longer. Some projects just aren't high enough priority to get them done in the same amount of time. Conscious time management is key, especially near the 5,6 and 10 shows.

Computer set up is just not ideal for graphics-related projects. I have way less storage and processing power which really disrupts the flow of design work.

Wi-fi is now consistently split between 3 people. No solution, just patience.

The opportunity to quickly make a batch of cookies is hard to resist. There is no solution.

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Now, to hopefully put a smile on your face, some employees are trying to find the silver lining in what obviously is a horrible situation.

Reporter Vince Gerasole notes he gets to spend more time with his wife and daughter and dog.

"So Heidi is working in the kitchen and I'm in the dining room and Olivia is working in her bedroom. we are sometimes in each other's way. It is nice holding my dog while I work, but when she barks--that's a different story," Vince notes.

Reporter Lauren Victory also spent some time working from home with her dog Mooch, and photojournalist Lana Hinshaw-Klann.

"Working from home was definitely welcomed by Mooch the Pooch. Otherwise, it felt strange. No running back and forth to the edit bays as photographer Lana is sitting right next to me. My phone battery drained a lot faster than normal due to a higher volume of calls and texts as we all try to stay on the same page while working apart," Lauren says.

As for Lana, she's kept her sense of humor: "There are a few technical nuisances that are unique to the situation, but nothing insurmountable. I do like hanging with colleagues' families and pets. Lauren's dog Mooch likes me a lot more than Vince's dog Connie. Connie just barks at me."