We're giving you the backstory on USA TODAY's reporting

USA Today

02-05-2025

We're giving you the backstory on USA TODAY's reporting | From the editor
A message from the editor in chief
There is nothing more rewarding to me as editor in chief of USA TODAY than hearing from people who connect with our journalism.
Launched in 1982 by Al Neuharth, USA TODAY rolled off printing presses with a creative, colorful design that broke from the mold of older, legacy newspapers. Neuharth was so devoted to the importance of a reader-friendly approach that he was known to sometimes insist that editors rewrite headlines on stories if they were too stodgy and not eye-catching enough to entice readers to read the newspaper.
The conversation with our readers is the essence of what we aim to do every day, which is why I'm excited to announce that starting May 4, I'm relaunching The Backstory, a subscriber-exclusive newsletter and column that will aim to lift the curtain on our reporter process and give readers greater insight into what we do and how we do it. My aim is to highlight our best work each week and introduce you to the talented journalists on the USA TODAY staff.
I'm in awe of the expertise and commitment of the journalists around the country who work to deliver content that connects with your lives.
Our stories are engaging and people-focused. We talk with you, not at you. We're dedicated to service journalism: the mission of informing you to help you live your best life. With our sports and entertainment news, we capture the moments and events that bring joy (and sometimes heartache) to you.
We are proud of our accountability journalism, our rigorous approach to fact-checking and our unbiased reporting.
We also know that our readers, viewers and listeners are bombarded with content every day, and if our storytelling doesn't speak to them, if it isn't compelling enough, we are not serving them the way we need to.
That is why reader feedback to some of our best stories is so meaningful to me. It validates the importance of what we do.
One example of this that I found especially gratifying was the response to a deep dive that senior journalists Rick Jervis and Marco Della Cava did on the final days of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. The couple, beloved by their neighbors in their community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, were found dead in their home Feb. 26. Adding to the blow to the community and to Hackman's fans, the causes of the couple's deaths were initially a mystery until authorities discovered Arakawa had died first from a virus and Hackman passed away days later.
Rick and Marco's aim was to bring the readers behind the scenes to draw a vivid picture for our audiences of a significant moment in time or key event. Our package on Hackman included a beautifully written story and moving video.
Rick and Marco's headline was captivating: Tough guy, everyman. Gene Hackman pursued anonymity and a private artist life in Santa Fe. The story was riveting from the first paragraph.
One reader wrote:
Rick,
Just a quick note to thank you for the excellent reporting and writing on the final days of Gene Hackman and his wife. Journalism teachers should use this as an example of how to do a tick tock. I enjoyed it.
Another offered this feedback:
I can't say how much I enjoyed this article. What an incredible person Gene was. Thank you for writing this along with Marco Della Cava.
In the coming weeks, I will share more of our reader feedback. I will also walk you through our approach to our craft and the rigor with which we carry it out. And in the spirit of a conversation, I always welcome your feedback. Thanks for reading.
To support USA TODAY and our journalists, become a subscriber today. For those already subscribed, thank you. You can always sign up to receive The Backstory here.