Mississippi Today will postpone our upcoming live events as a coronavirus precaution.

Events are a central component of Mississippi Today’s public service mission. In an effort to maintain the health of our readers, community members and participants as a top priority, events scheduled for Meridian (March 12), Greenwood (March 19) and Washington, D.C. (April 23) will be rescheduled to future dates.

“Event planners around the country are taking extra precaution right now, and our community outreach team is no different,” said Mary Margaret White, Executive Director and CEO of Mississippi Today. Even though there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mississippi at this time, we want to be proactive. The health and wellness of our reader community is more important than any date on the calendar.

Tickets purchased in advance for Marshall’s Mississippi are transferable. Rescheduled dates will be announced soon.

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At least one person at a national journalism conference held in New Orleans last week has tested presumptively positive for the novel coronavirus, organizers said. The conference was the annual gathering for the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting. That organization, known as NICAR, is part of Investigative Reporters and Editors, or IRE, a national nonprofit that journalists join to learn best practices from one another.

More than 1,000 people attended the conference, which was held at the Marriott Hotel on Canal Street. The organization said based on the limited symptoms, the attendee could have contracted the virus, before, during or after the conference.

As a precaution, Mississippi Today offices will be professionally cleaned. Reporters who attended the conference will be working from home for the time being. We have no indication that Mississippi Today employees came in contact with the attendee who has tested presumptively positive. No known cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Mississippi to date.


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