YOUNGSTOWN — As a news organization, we’ve approached our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in phases. 

First people will want to know about the virus — how it affects families and communities. People will need to know how to cope with the shutdown of business and schools. And, then they’ll know someone who has the virus and will eventually know someone who has died from it. 

One theme that’s united every new aspect of this pandemic is access to quality information. 

From fact-checking the antiviral qualities of bleach — please don't try it — to looking for more information about cases from local leaders, wading through bad information and encountering obstacles to good information has been a major challenge. 

Mahoning Matters had the opportunity to chat with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Friday and he voiced some of the same concerns. 

For Brown, that starts with watching every presidential briefing.

"I watch them all partly because I want to correct misinformation. When the president says, 'Maybe you should think about ingesting [disinfectant],'" said Brown. "Trump has enough strong supporters that some of them will do that, and some people will get hurt. But I contrast that with [Gov. Mike DeWine] and his health director Dr. [Amy] Acton. I think you can’t go wrong by listening to those news conferences."

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