Lekan Otufodunrin writes on the role of media, storytellers and content producers in the campaign against the spread of COVID-19
Apart from medical professionals, if there is one other major group of professionals that should play a crucial role in curbing the pandemic we all have on our hands globally, it is media professionals, including journalists, writers, storytellers and anyone involved in professionally sourcing and disseminating information.
Note that I said PROFESSIONALLY, especially because nowadays virtually anyone with a telephone can source and disseminate information. This has become a major cause of concern as all manner of information, many of which cannot be verified are available in our present information overload world.
Even in my house. I am constantly engaged in a battle to disabuse my wife’s mind against the various things she is reading on WhatsApp.
Because COVID-19, as President Buhari stated in his recent broadcast, is a matter of life and death and a new disease with limited information about it, there must be enough awareness and constant information available for readers, viewers and listeners on various platforms.
So, we all have a major role in ensuring that people get the correct information about what has happened, where the disease originated from, the situation in our country and others, the symptoms, the treatment and various efforts being made by the government.
People need information about the possible overall effect on our social and economic life and how to cope with the reality we are faced with.
One way the media will succeed in playing its role in this battle is how the stories are told. Apart from normal news, the media and other storytellers must adopt innovative ways of getting information across to the people to make them believe that COVID-19 is not one imaginary disease like some of them still think using the various multimedia channels.
I was shocked when one of my supposedly enlightened neighbours told me she doesn’t believe the disease is real despite the daily figures announced of the persons who have tested positive.
She said until she physically sees someone who is down with the disease, not on television, before she will be convinced the whole thing is not a ‘scam to make money’ She is not alone with this mindset, there are many who exhibit their doubts about what we are contending with considering their outright disregard for the various measures like social-distancing.
Na something go kill person. Forget about coronavirus, someone else said.
So as media professionals, writers and storytellers, we have our job cut out for us at this crucial time.
Whatever used to be our area of focus, we must find the coronavirus link and write about it or have production on the matter of the moment.
Let’s meet the people wherever they are and provide the necessary information they can use to stay safe and flatten the curve of the coronavirus infection graph in our country. Let’s speak the language they understand to get our messages across and break down the medical jargons about the disease.
Let’s provide them access to information about where they can get help and allay their fears about various conspiracy theories and end of the world prophesies.
Let’s fact check unsubstantiated information being circulated and tell our audience what to believe and what they should not.
Let’s retain our use of traditional media but learn to effectively use social media and be the right kind of online influencers needed at a time like this. Our messages don’t have to be the usual long format.
It can be as short as a tweet or a Facebook post. It can be a short skit but very informative and not some kind of trivialization of the matter we see in videos shared online and in WhatsApp groups.
Since the lockdown began, I have not left my house but I have written my weekly column in The Nation and contribution to an online platform I write for on various aspects of the pandemic, including How to enhance your career while at home, How to keep your job in crisis time and after and the one for this Sunday: What next after the lockdown?
Traffic on our mediacareerng.org has interestingly been at an all-time high with various interviews with top media professionals on how the media should properly be reporting about COVID-19 and the various developments in the media world with the pandemic.
We noted that funds are available for media houses reporting coronavirus for their communities and there are various webinars for journalists and have been highlighting them on our website along with engagements on social media.
I have granted interviews to print, broadcast and online media on coronavirus reporting by our media organisations from my ‘hideout’
For me what I have done is not to allow the crisis to shut down my work. I have found my place in the whole drama of life which we have not experienced before and did my best to maximise the opportunities and cope with the challenges.
Sooner or later, coronavirus will be over, but before it ends, we have to start telling the stories in the best way we can and be prepared to tell the full story later.