Hard News and Honky-Tonks: How to Cover the American South

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A presidential campaign. A hurricane. A cult-favorite cabbage slaw.

For Emily Cochrane, a reporter who covers the American South for The New York Times, no day is ever the same.

“It’s one of the great joys and challenges of this job,” she said in a recent interview. “You could be covering so much at any time.”

Ms. Cochrane joined The Times in 2017 as an intern in the Washington bureau. In 2018, she landed a role as a news assistant and soon became a congressional reporter in Washington, D.C.

When presented with the opportunity to cover the South last year, she didn’t hesitate.

“When I started at The Times, I set out to do as much as possible and see as much of this complicated country and world as I could,” Ms. Cochrane said.

So she packed her things, placed her two cats, Yuzu and Hercules, in carriers and moved from Washington to Nashville to cover the region. In recent months, she has reported on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the block-party celebration of a beloved honky-tonk.

In a few conversations — as she was covering a trial in Memphis — Ms. Cochrane discussed the regional trends she’s watching and the debate over Florida’s inclusion in “the South.” These are edited excerpts.

Can you describe your beat to readers who may be unfamiliar?

I’m a regional reporter covering the American South, so that means I’m responsible for any news that happens here — a hurricane, tornado, legislative activity, school shooting, court developments. I have a responsibility to put the news in context for a national audience and to provide insight into the region for people who may have never been here and may never be able to come here.

Readers may have some preconceived notions about the South, the way you might about any place you have never been. It’s my job to show them the facets of life here; that can include cultural trends, beloved places or the unique situations that people find themselves in.

Take me through a typical day in your life in your role.

I read news from around the region, find trends and check in with people. If I’m in a city on assignment, I’ll talk to whomever I need to for a story. I make a point of walking around the city, seeing the restaurants and other places worth visiting. Being able to get a feel for a place is important.

What are your greatest reporting challenges?

Logistics. If I’m traveling somewhere for an assignment, I have to think through questions like: How long will it take me to drive there? Where am I staying? If there’s a weather-related emergency, will I have electricity? When I covered Hurricane Helene, for example, there were several places that didn’t have power, cell service, running water or a combination of all three.

Another challenge is that people may not understand how this job works. It was one thing when I was on the Hill, where lawmakers understand what it means to talk to a reporter. But in the South, a lot of people have never considered being covered in The New York Times. For people to open up to me — a conduit to thousands or even millions of readers — is a huge ask. Explaining to sources how our jobs work, and then convincing them that we are worthy of telling their story in The Times, is an important challenge.

What’s the reaction you get when you tell people you work for The Times?

“You flew all the way from New York City? What are you doing here?”

There will always be people who distrust The Times, but I think it helps to be a reporter who lives near them. I can’t claim to be a lifelong Southerner — as someone from Miami, Florida — but I think it can be viewed differently when I say that I’m from Nashville.

I was not aware of the debate over Florida belonging to the South or not.

This is my opportunity to acknowledge it. Dear readers of Texas, Virginia and northern Florida, I see you. I hear you. We have incredible reporters in Texas who focus on Texas. Patricia Mazzei covers Florida from Miami. Campbell Robertson covers the Mid-Atlantic.

What trends are you paying attention to?

The tensions between blue urban cities in states that are dominated by rural areas is something I’m really interested in. For example, in Tennessee, both Nashville and Memphis tussle with the Republican state government.

The pandemic also changed a lot. People who work remotely can afford a house and land here. I think there’s a shift in who is moving here and what kind of beliefs and cultural ideals they have. That can change a place.

Especially after something like Hurricane Helene, there’s a lot to be done about the toll of climate change and what recovery from such devastating storms looks like.

How do you decompress at the end of a workday?

I annoy my cats. I’m trying to crochet. I read incredibly fluffy books that have nothing to do with reality. I’m also a sucker for “Top Chef” and “The Great British Bake Off.”