There’s been tremendous, careful, rigourous reporting about the systemic and individual decisions by federal officials that made the pandemic effects in the US worse. From national news organisations as varied as the LA Times, Politico, the NYT, and the Washington Post.

And on a state-by-state and city-by-city basis, media orgs like the Tampa Bay Times, the SF Chronicle, the Texas Tribune, the CITY NY, Chalkbeat and many others have held governors and local government accountable and helped people understand what’s happening near them.

ProPublica, Reveal, The Appeal, the Marshall Project, STAT News have published stories that go way beyond the expected headlines and that have helped both legislators and their constituents understand what’s happening in the important, complex systems that make up our society.

And across the industry, which is facing substantial declines in advertising revenue, uncertainty about membership models in a time of sweeping unemployment, and a hostile political environment, journalists and photographers are being laid off and furloughed in record numbers.

The ones who remain in newsrooms are pilloried in White House press conferences; face legal threats for attempting to do public-service reporting; and get hourly servings of hatefulness across the platforms we have to use to bring folks the news.

These are folks who, by and large, are doing their very best under difficult circumstances to help people navigate through this crisis. And to hold accountable the officials and systems upon which we all rely just to survive.

You may not be the person sending death threats to reporters. Your organisation may not be threatening to sue newsrooms. Your execs may not be telling their all-hands that journalists are not to be trusted and just in it for the clicks. But these things are happening.

If you care about what’s happening in hospitals and nursing homes, to the economy, to your neighbourhood — support your local media orgs. Write to editors if you’ve spotted a mistake or have a concern about accuracy. Send a secure tip about something you’re seeing. Participate.