The Detroit Free Press’ Sunday edition is dedicated to COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s why
At the Free Press, truth-telling is at the very heart of what we do. Although we live in a time when many are not willing to accept the truth, we have a duty as a news institution to keep delivering it. And that is our purpose today: to deliver the truth about COVID-19 and vaccines.
The vaccines are safe and effective, and supported by science. They are widely available, free of charge.
And they can help to end the pandemic and bring us closer to what was once normal.
Yet a large percentage of Americans and Michiganders are unvaccinated. To be sure, some have legitimate questions about the safety of vaccines. We answer those this week in a special reporting project. But many others have passed on vaccinations for reasons of ideology or buying into conspiracy theories. We ask you to consider the health of others, to read into what our reporting has found and to think deeply about it.
We lead today’s newspaper with a front-page editorial — an expression of opinion — which is a rare move for a news organization whose lifeblood is fact-based reporting. But this is an extraordinary time that calls for an extraordinary statement — one that calls on all of us who are vaccinated to do more to get friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers and others vaccinated.
More: The truth about COVID-19 vaccines. Everything you need to know.
Editorial: An appeal to vaccinated Free Press readers
This package gives you all the facts about vaccines and stories of how the virus has afflicted unvaccinated Michiganders as well as some who are vaccinated in what are called breakthrough infections. This project also sheds light on what different communities across the state are doing to fight COVID-19 in schools and workplaces, and provides insight into the debates around vaccines and masking.
The Free Press offers digital subscriptions to our readers, which gives access to our best and most insightful journalism. All of this package is available to anyone on freep.com because of the public service it provides. But digital subscriptions are essential to our ability to deliver news to you, especially work of depth like this COVID-19 project. To our subscribers, we thank you. You share our unrelenting passion for Detroit and Michigan and your support means everything. If you’re not a subscriber, please consider it. It’s a good deal. Go to freep.com/specialoffer.
And, remember, it is easy to get a vaccine. Text your ZIP code to 438829 for a quick response that tells you where you can get the shot nearby.
In this COVID-19 vaccines project
Peter Bhatia is editor and vice president of the Free Press and Michigan editor for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at pbhatia@gannett.com.
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