USA TODAY NETWORK launches 'Just the FAQs LIVE: Conversations about Coronavirus'

Weekly livestream show will engage USA TODAY NETWORK journalists across the country to answer people’s most pressing questions about COVID-19

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USA TODAY NETWORK launched a new livestream show “Just the FAQs LIVE: Conversations about Coronavirus” on Facebook this week to answer people’s most pressing questions about COVID-19. The live conversation will also feature Gannett journalists, reporting from across the country and providing their local communities with trusted news and information amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“Just the FAQs LIVE: Conversations about Coronavirus” is hosted by Megan Finnerty, founder and director of the Storytellers Project and Storytellers Brand Studio at Gannett. The live episodes will run roughly 30 minutes and will include a round-robin report bringing together local Gannett journalists to share what is happening in their communities and an established thought leader or expert to share insights on COVID-19. Additionally, each week, a conversation topic will be selected based on the most-asked questions of the week sourced from USA TODAY reader questions and Local Facebook Groups. The show will be livestreamed on the USA TODAY Facebook page, as well as many of Gannett’s local media pages.

USA TODAY NETWORK is launching two additional shows in partnership with Facebook that will focus on COVID-19 news and information. “Just the FAQs: Coronavirus Explained,” part of USA TODAY NETWORK’s flagship explainer series, will tackle the biggest coronavirus news of the week and distill it with explanatory graphics, videos and photos. Each explainer episode will also include an on-camera briefing from a USA TODAY NETWORK journalist who will dig deep into the issue that is the subject of the episode. “Just the FAQs: Coronavirus Recap,” will feature clips of the most salient points made by guests of the livestream show. The two shows can be viewed at www.usatoday.com/justthefaqs and on Facebook.

“Creating innovative video projects has been a hallmark of USA TODAY and Gannett's portfolio of 260 local media properties around the country. ‘Just the FAQs LIVE: Conversations about Coronavirus’ is an extension of that commitment and our continued promise to the communities our journalists serve,” said Russ Torres, vice president of video content and strategy at USA TODAY NETWORK. “We are in a period where providing news you can trust is more important than ever. Our partnership with Facebook provides a special and unique platform to help us share accurate information catered to our audiences’ specific interest in their health, their communities, and their local businesses.”

USA TODAY NETWORK has also launched a “Money Q&A” series to answer people’s questions about money amid the coronavirus outbreak. USA TODAY NETWORK’s top financial journalists are finding answers to Americans’ questions about money — anything from finding a job or unemployment benefits to 401(k) or retirement plans. Readers can submit questions here and find answers here.

In addition, to provide comprehensive information on the coronavirus to the public, USA TODAY has:

  • Launched “Nation's Health,” a daily section on the crisis that is being published in print and is providing updates online.
  • Launched a coronavirus newsletter, which has accumulated nearly 145,000 subscribers.
  • Enabled app users to “follow” coronavirus content for ease in finding the latest stories.
  • Published tailored coronavirus content across all social platforms, including TikTok.
USA TODAY NETWORK, COVID-19, coronavirus