If 2020 was a year spent in limbo, 2021 was a time of reckoning.

Twenty-two months into the pandemic we¡¯ve had plenty of opportunity to ponder what kind of future is in store for us, with the understanding that life will not be the same as it was before COVID-19. Although it hasn¡¯t acted in a concerted manner, the media has had a lot to do with our reaching that conclusion. Isolated and stuck in a rut, each of us turns to our TV, computer and phone for answers and reassurances that they can¡¯t deliver because there is no uniform, coherent message except that the virus isn¡¯t going away soon. Breaking through the static was more difficult than it has ever been.

Media topic of the year 1: Japan conquers COVID-19