Having the right people in the right place can make such a difference in how a story is covered. All the big news organizations are reporting on the war in Ukraine, of course, and by and large doing an excellent job under very difficult circumstances. But because CNN had Sara Sidner at the Polish border, they found a story others had missed.
Sidner had spent months in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd, covering the racial reckoning and the trial of the white ex-police officer convicted for the killing. Both her professional and her life experience no doubt played a role in the story she found at a train station in Poland, where refugees from Ukraine were arriving by the hundreds.
As Sidner talked to people desperate to leave Ukraine, she heard something unexpected from Black refugees. Many had been in Ukraine for years but said they were treated differently from Ukrainian nationals when they tried to leave. Some had been stranded for days inside Ukraine, others said they were kicked off a train on the way out of the country.
It took the rest of the media a while to catch up. The Guardian ran a story two days later. CBS aired a report two weeks later. CNN followed up with an in-depth report on Indian and African students who claimed they faced racism and segregation at the border.
It’s possible those stories might have surfaced if Sidner hadn’t been there. But it’s notable that she was first, proving once again the value of a diverse newsroom.
