How One Travel Newsletter Confronted the Pandemic and Changed Its Narrative

Travel media outlets have published no shortage of stories in the last year about how Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on countless destinations, hotels, tour operators, and more. The collective billions of dollars companies in the tourism industry have lost due to the pandemic will be felt for years to come. But people are still obviously traveling, so that raises a very important question: How do media outlets tell travel stories in the midst of the pandemic and now through the uneasiness of reopenings? One publication grappling with that question is The Statesider. Created by writers Pam Mandel and Andy Murdock, the online newsletter has provided a voice for U.S. consumer travel media that Mandel noted tells stories that “say something about broader American issues and identity." One example of its unique approach to storytelling: the profound experience the visually impaired, Uruguayan-born writer Milagros Costabel enjoyed at a Florida Walmart. Since its launch in 2019, The Statesider has enjoyed its successes, including two stories listed in the mentions for Best American Travel Writing in 2020. “And we’ll have a story in the main book,” Mandel added. But should a newsletter that depends on articles told by travelers encourage travel? Mandel doesn’t think so. In fact, she has been vocal in calling for Americans not to travel in the midst of the pandemic, even writing a guest piece for Skift last year urging people to stay home. Consumer travel journalism is largely about tapping into the sense of awe and adventure from travel, a practice that has made it difficult when faced with a larger responsibility for safety versus promoting great trips and destinations. [caption id="attachment_421677" align="alignright" width="200"] Pam Mande