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There used to be a time in journalism when certain points on the calendar were known as “slow news” periods. The middle of the summer. The end of the year. Many newsrooms had skeleton staff during those times. But the public’s demand for instant news – aided and abetted by the explosion of online journalism – means there are no longer any “slow news” cycles.
The recent late-December-early-January period exemplifies how major stories ignore the calendar: the deaths of soccer superstar Pelé and Pope Benedict; the ongoing dysfunction of the U.S Congress and the horrifying near-death experience of NFL player Damar Hamlin. All four stories have dominated the news cycles of early 2023 – and The Conversation global network has provided some great analyses and explanatory stories on these topics.
For your reading pleasure on the first weekend of 2023, I’ve assembled a collection of stories that will give you some much-needed insight into the issues behind the top stories of the new year.
Have a great weekend – and we’ll be back in your Inbox on Monday.
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Weekend Reads: Behind the headlines of 2023's first major stories
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Richard Hargy, Queen's University Belfast
Breakaway Republicans are blocking the election of a new speaker of the US House of Representatives.
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Thomas Gift, UCL
The battle over the next speaker will not stop Republicans blocking Joe Biden’s agenda when it is over.
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Rachel Hadas, Rutgers University - Newark
The insights of an ancient historian show that the causes of civil unrest are often the same over time and across societies.
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Joyce Dalsheim, University of North Carolina – Charlotte; Gregory Starrett, University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Thousands gathered to express their collective identity and desire to preserve the nation’s political and religious heritage – and to uphold what they saw as the rightful outcome of the 2020 election.
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Mathew Schmalz, College of the Holy Cross
Pope Benedict XVI led the Catholic Church at a crucial time and had to confront a growing sexual abuse scandal.
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David Gibson, Fordham University
Pope Benedict XVI’s many years of wrestling with the abuse crisis highlight the Catholic Church’s broader challenges addressing it.
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Grant James Dickey, Western University; Haojie Mao, Western University; Kewei Bian, Western University; Sakib Ul Islam, Western University
Commotio cordis is the result of blunt trauma to the heart, and is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in youth sports. Improvements in protective equipment may help prevent it.
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Nicole Kraft, The Ohio State University
ESPN commentators avoided speculation and struck a compassionate tone as player received treatment.
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Christina Philippou, University of Portsmouth; Sarthak Mondal, University of Portsmouth
Pelé’s death in December saw the world mourn one of football’s all time greats, but his contributions to the business of football were by no means less great.
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José Paulo Florenzano, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
Pelé become a symbol of the Black diaspora, a pan-African reference point and cosmopolitan icon.
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