J&J vaccine shortage affects Philly’s new clinic | Morning Newsletter

Philly has a second mass vaccination site. The Esperanza Community Vaccination Center opened Friday in North Philly, promising to bring thousands of doses to a community that is one of the most undervaccinated in the city. But this week, the clinic is facing a drastic drop in its supply of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, like elsewhere in the country.

And this week, I asked events producer Angelica Irizarry about her job and her work with Inquirer LIVE virtual events.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with events producer Angelica Irizarry.

Can you describe your job with the events team and what drew you to it?

I began working at The Inquirer three years ago when our team mainly produced awards programs. I had previously worked in marketing, so I was excited to have the opportunity to fully immerse myself in event production. I was excited to create experiential events and have the opportunity to create new programming. This plan was halted for in-person experiences in 2020, but then, Inquirer LIVE was born. This has shifted our focus to creating very entertaining and informative conversations between Inquirer journalists and the day’s top newsmakers in sports, culture, politics, food, etc.

As a producer for Inquirer LIVE, it is my responsibility to work with our executive producer, Renee Ifill, to create meaningful content and to showcase our journalism in a live way. I like to think of myself and our team as a conduit for creating a meaningful connection between our brand and our audience.

What subjects are you keeping an eye on as you produce events in the near future?

Inquirer LIVE is an extension of the journalism brought to life. So, our journalism dictates the events we produce, but we hope to grow with new ideas and target major audience draws that have deep ties to Philadelphia.

What’s something you wish more people understood about your work?

While meeting a deadline is important, I wish more people understood that we always have to remain flexible. When you’re dealing with talent, partnerships, multiple departments and organizations, it’s not always easy for a deadline to remain fixed. We’re always mindful that flexibility helps everyone involved accomplish the task of getting the event we want and securing the talent and content we want to share with our audience.

What are you looking forward to this year?

I’m looking forward to producing more quality events for the Inquirer, for sure. And, I can’t wait for these events to be organized in-person again. Transitioning to virtual events meant reaching audiences we’ve never seen before, but I do think the future is in hybrid events, the best of both worlds. As we continue to grow, we will only continue to find bigger and better ways to bring journalism to the Philadelphia community in a meaningful way.

What do you do for fun during your downtime?

For fun, I love to spend time with my family and friends. Of course, social distancing has made this difficult, and at times you need to get creative, but quality time with others is what I value. I love to spend time with my dog, Belle, and my fiancé, Jeff. I’m currently planning my wedding for September, so a lot of my time has been spent planning fun things to do around the wedding.

Email Angelica Irizarry at AIrizarry@inquirer.com.

This is an adorable kitty enjoying the spring weather. Thanks for sharing.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

During the pandemic, my colleague Elizabeth Wellington put off going to the doctor. But it’s been a year now. It’s time to get over the fear and go back. As she works through her own reservations about the doctor’s office, she has some tips for you on how to stay calm. The big one: “When you make that doctor’s appointment, you are taking back your power,” said Margot Savoy, chair of the department of family and community medicine at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine.

What’s the cutest thing your pet has done? We could all use a pick-me-up, so we asked our Instagram followers to share their most adorable stories about their pets — whether dogs, cats, turtles, or anything else. Here’s what a few of them said:

💜 “My dog brings me his blanket every time I come home.”

🚗 “Both of my dogs get car anxiety so they cuddle for comfort on drives.”

🐈 “When I stop petting my cat, she presses her paw against my cheek.”

🎶 “My dog only howls to the ‘I Dream of Jeanie’ theme song.”

🐕 “Every morning our dog boops everyone on the nose as to say ‘oh look you’re awake’ 😂”

Be sure to follow us at @PhillyInquirer so you can join in next time we ask a question.

W. B. Saul High School is a 150-acre farm in Philadelphia. Students haven’t set foot inside the building in nearly 13 months, but Gloria the cow needs to be milked and Sir Charles the ram still needs to be fed. It’s tough, but the school is making do during the pandemic.