Robin Roberts, anchor of Good Morning America, will be heading to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, to cover the aftermath of the tragic storms that hit the area last month. Roberts will be covering the community’s efforts to clean up, rebuild, and reopen the city in a multiphase coverage called « Mississippi Strong. » The coverage aims to encourage viewers to offer a helping hand to the devastated community. Roberts plans to reconnect with locals impacted by the natural disaster, including Tracy Harden, the owner of Chuck’s Dairy Bar, who rushed her staff into a walk-in cooler moments before her business was quickly turned to rubble.
Roberts approaches her coverage with empathy, similar to when Hurricane Katrina hit her home state back in 2005. She recalls the destruction caused by the Category 5 storm, including the severe damage done to her alma mater, Pass Christian High School. Roberts believes that authenticity and vulnerability are strengths, not weaknesses, especially for journalists, to be real. She wants to convey to the audience where the community is now almost a month later and to be with them at every phase of the rebuilding process.
Roberts explains that GMA’s hallmark is to « follow up and follow through, » and while she doesn’t want to rush to travel to Rolling Fork while the community is still in shock, she also wants her viewers to see their « ongoing journey » of rebuilding for themselves. She wants viewers to jog their memory about how they felt the morning after when they saw the devastation and to show them how they can help. Roberts believes that the coverage can cause a reaction that leads to action.
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