Navigating a new world
When we were putting together the first issue of Delayed Gratification back in 2010, WikiLeaks released a trove of classified US diplomatic cables. At the time it felt like the sort of seismic story we wouldn’t see again soon.
But events kept coming which knocked the world a little further off its axis: the Arab Spring, the Japanese tsunami, the rise of Isis and the election of Donald Trump. Brexit, Grenfell, Salisbury. Occupy, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter. The Amazon, Australia and the Arctic caught on fire. With your support our journalists have returned to these events and others after the dust has settled. Armed with hindsight and perspective, they have told readers not just what happened, but also what it means.
Despite all we’ve witnessed, the story of Covid-19 feels unique. We have thought hard about how best to cover it and you will be unsurprised by our answer: slowly. So in this issue we look at the early days of the biggest pandemic of the 21st century so far, diving into the data behind the disease and telling the stories of those on the first line of defence.
As big as it is, however, Covid-19 isn’t the only story worth revisiting and as always we’ve also sought out the overlooked news of the quarter. So in this issue you’ll find articles on topics as varied as cocaine hippos, coral farming and the curious link between Dad’s Army and Billie Eilish.
Sadly the story of the coronavirus is far from over. Future issues will cover lockdown, recessions, new peaks and further tales of heroism and villainy. In a world that has changed at dizzying speed we think Slow Journalism is more important than ever.
Thank you for your support – we can’t do this without you.
Rob and Marcus, editors
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