Journalist Sylvie Sturm discusses her analysis of how journalists reported on homelessness starting with what was billed as the S.F. homeless project, annual media blitz coordinated by the San Francisco Chronicle beginning in 2016. One of the upshots of the coverage: Lots of proposed solutions, but scant attention paid to digging into the “whys” of homelessness.

“The other problem, too, possibly with reporting on homelessness is that the media tends to take the government’s word on everything.” — Sylvie Sturm, journalist

I host and report for “Civic,” a San Francisco public affairs radio show and podcast from the Public Press. I've been a multimedia reporter and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I've reported on housing, health, immigration and homelessness for local news site Mission Local and produced conversations about local, regional and national current affairs for “Your Call,” a live call-in program on KALW-FM public radio.