Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists worldwide have been among frontline workers contributing to stemming the spread of the virus through reporting on various print, broadcasting and online platforms.
In Africa, with over 250,000 cases, 6000 plus deaths and over 100,000 recoveries in 57 countries, journalists, despite various limitations have risen up to the task of performing the expected role of informing and educating the people about the health crisis that caught the world unawares.
They have had to cope with the challenge of the lockdown, restriction of movements, limited facilities, resources and access to information. Working from home and virtual engagements have become the new normal even in media organisations.
In this report, OLATUNJI TOLULOPE conducted online research and spoke with some African journalists on their experience in covering the pandemic and lessons learnt about the global health crisis.
Against all odds
According to Felix Tih of Anadolu Agency, the global health turbulence forced him and his colleagues to adopt a new schedule working from home and not the newsroom they are used to.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Best practices for investigative reporting in Africa.
“As the COVID-19 outbreak spread rapidly across the world, most journalists have left their newsrooms to work from home. As a journalist, I think that this crisis has given a new meaning to our job by telling stories about the pandemic, the doctors’ struggle, all aspects of the crisis, I feel useful and proud of it…” Tih stated.
To ensure proper dissemination of information on the continent, he is hopeful the present situation that limits journalists will soon be over.
Gabriel Ogunjobi of The Nation newspaper commended Nigerian journalists on publication of factual updates on the pandemic across the country.
”Reception from Nigerian journalists is usually comely when a first-hand report is presented. You may say it’s a sort of comrade-like support because Nigeria press is trying it’s best to prove a point: that it is capable of delivering factual and eventful updates on how the pandemic is taking a toll and the progress the country is making so far.” he said
As Ghana’s COVID-19 cases increase by the day, Mr Emmanuel Kwame Amoh of 3news.com noted how the Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration has set aside some policies even before the pandemic broke out in the country. Nevertheless, he recalled that journalists in the country initially had a hard time going about reporting as they were not exempted from the restriction directives of the government. It took several pleas for them to be allowed to move around during the restriction.
“… As a result, journalists in Ghana were bent on providing all the necessary information about the virus when it broke out. Before government-imposed restrictions, a law had to be quickly promulgated in Parliament and in the law, journalists were not made an exempt group of those who can still provide services despite the partial lockdown in Accra and Ghana’s second city, Kumasi. Because of the urge to provide first-hand information to the citizenry, journalists were included as an exempted group after several demands and even labelled frontline workers.”
‘Don’t try to be a Superman’
In his book “Unlocked: Writing from lockdown”, Journalist and media career development specialist, Lekan Otufodunrin narrated his experience of not allowing his inability to move out of his house and street to prevent him from meeting his writing commitments and even more than usual.
In an interview he had with the Executive Director of Journalists Against AIDS, Ms Olayide Akanni, she said journalists should diversify their reports on the virus.
“Facts about COVID 19 – signs, symptoms, modes of transmission, preventive measures and how individuals can take responsibility for their health, information about testing centers and contacts and how people can access testing services if they feel they are at risk or have some of the identified symptoms; current situation (Global and country/context-specific information about what is driving the epidemic, progress reports (what is working well / success stories); gaps…” Akanni stated.
While journalists are doing everything to enlighten the public about being safety conscious, Akanni said they should also take necessary precautions while going about their duties, adding that they should not try to be a hero, thereby endangering their lives and the lives of their love ones.
“My advice to journalists covering at this time is to practice what you preach. If you’re educating and encouraging the public to adhere strictly to preventive measures, please do the same to protect you and your loved ones. Don’t try to be Superman or Voltron (the defender of the Universe). Realise you are not immune – (a few international journalists in major international media have also tested positive in the course of their work) if you need to self-isolate do so and get tested if you suspect that you may be at risk or have symptoms. Stay safe, Stay safe: Stay safe, it’s not a cliché and cannot be overemphasized.” she advised.
Misinformation: A Pandemic in itself
Apart from the pandemic, one major issue that has become a major source of concern is the level of misinformation about the virus and its impact that had become what had been dubbed ‘infodemic’
Both professional and non-professionals were engaged in this reprehensible act that beclouded the efforts being made to share the right information with the public.
Tih bemoaned the actions of actors of misinformation, noting that it is capable of misleading the people and commended journalists who did their best to provide accurate information.
“Misinformation has the potential to promote violence, fear, and hate speech and, ultimately, to undermine public opinion or the audience. So, journalists need to understand how to report during the pandemic. We also have to understand the pandemic before transmitting information,” he said.
He stressed the need for accurate reporting and verification of information shared on various platforms.
”It is vital for us to convey the right information amid the fight against COVID-19, we have to provide solid information, provide high-quality journalism in order to build public trust and correct fake news and disinformation without legitimizing them. Fake news is something that cannot be verified. Almost all of fake news or misinformation is passed via online platforms, it is vital that Africans should consume news from verified platforms,” he stated.
Agreeing with his Cameroonian counterpart, Mojeeb Alabi of Premium Times affirmed that misinformation is pandemic in itself, adding that misinformation is a global problem which is as a result of some impostors parading themselves as journalists, rushing to break phoney news for the profit of getting clicks, monetary gains and audience without confirmation of source and the repercussion in the public space.
In a phone conversation with him, he said: “Fake news is a kind of pandemic on its own, because of the rush to break news, because of the desire to get followership, because of the attitude, particularly at a time when I say everybody is a journalist, so it has become so difficult to differentiate journalist from journalist…”
Shedding more light on the continuous spread of the misinformation, he said there are no ground rules which could curtail the deeds of so-called ‘money makers’, as the ethics of journalism are not strictly adhered to. He noted that journalism is ‘porous’, as it is now being used as leverage in blackmailing individuals and institutions. “ Thus, their mischievous way of breaking news lacks public apathy and it is the reason why is tagged ‘as a threat to the peace and stability across the continent and even globally”
On how to curb fake news, he said African journalists should make sure that their reportage aligns with the rules of verification, balancing and objectivity, that makes them distinct from media fakirs.
“You just have to follow the rules, there are rules in journalism, and journalism is not just a profession anybody can pick up. There is a rule of balancing, there is a rule of objectivity, there is a rule of thoroughness, you don’t just rely on ‘somebody told me’, how credible are your source. The credibility of your sources will determine the authenticity of your report… a single report can ruin an economy…, if journalists make mistakes the whole country can be exterminated.”
Experience with Health Workers
In his encounter with the health workers, Kenya’s Andrew Wasike describes their attitude towards the pandemic like that of being on the war front during which every soldier has drawn the battle line for the fight. He affirmed that the doctors and the health workers are putting up a brave fight
“Like soldiers, who protect boundaries of countries, doctors and other health workers worldwide have moved to battle zones to defeat an invisible but lethal enemy coronavirus or COVID-19. Armed with helmets, gloves, face shields, masks, and protective clothing, hundreds of doctors like Kevin Nguringa in Kenya are working round the clock to beat the virus, while risking their own lives. They say that fight against COVID-19 has parallels to participating in a war.” the reporter from Anadolu Agency said.
Wasike in his report, shed light on how the health workers complained about inadequate medical facilities for treating victims of the pandemic which will ultimately contain and curb the spread of the virus. He wrote that some Kenyans were not obeying the lockdown rules given by the government.
From another perspective, ‘Kunle Adebajo of Human Angle shared his experience of how health workers were deprived of some incentives and salary arrears. He wrote many stories about how the welfare of the medical officers and health workers was not given the priority it deserves. One of his reports was about medical doctors at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AEFUTHA) in Ebonyi state, Nigeria published on 7th, May 2020
“While governments and members of the public are celebrating medical workers across the world for their professional sacrifices in battling COVID-19, many doctors who are employees of the government in Nigeria are facing starvation and frustration,” he wrote.
On his impression of media reports and his experience with the health workers, he said “I think reporting during Covid-19, for many journalists, has shown that there’s nothing more important than getting the story out and getting people informed despite the odds. Even if you have to work from home with limited resources, or work on half salary, or expose yourself to getting infected”.
“It’s a difficult job and that’s even more pronounced at periods such as this when the risks are amplified and decentralized” he added.
Displaced media staff?
One of the fallouts of COVID-19 is the loss of jobs in many sectors, including the media. Some media houses have had to scale down their operations and consequently sacked some staff, sent some on of forced leave and those on duty paid a various percentage of their salaries.
Journalists and media experts shared their concerns and advised those displaced on what to consider doing.
Mr Leon Senyange of the Feature StoryNews confirmed the negative impact of the pandemic on the media and hoped the situation will get better soon.
“… It is very rampant. Certainly, some sections of the media have been rendered redundant because of the lack of activities. And that had a huge effect on the newsroom. Media organization are also businesses so with many financially, the ripple effects have been adverse. Hopefully, things will stabilize and journalists will get back to work” the Ugandan reporter said
Advising displaced staff, he said; “We cannot rely on full employment. It is high time we dipped our hands into small and mid enterprises, form groups that create business ideas. COVID-19 had provided a rude awakening on the realities of employment”
Tih noted that though it can be tough for journalists to cope with the economic impact of the crisis, they just have to adapt to the situation.
“The pandemic turned the world upside down and sometimes it can be tough to maintain sanity. As I said earlier, we always have to be ready to work in extreme conditions from anywhere. Many people have been displaced, far from the newsroom and forced to work from home, in better or poor conditions. But is it better than those who lost their jobs? We just have to adapt” he said.
He further said that “Working from home can also open doors for many opportunities. One of the most profound benefits of remote work is the extra time you have on your hands. Focus more on yourself and grow, learn new skills. Use your extra time to boost your careers”.
Otufodunrin offered some suggestions for both displaced and journalists who survived the layoffs: “So, to keep your job now and after, there is a number of options to consider and prepare for. The first thing is to pay attention to how the crisis is affecting the industry you are in and particularly the company you work in. The pattern of layoffs and retention of staff should give you an idea of how crucial your skill is and how valuable you are to the company”.
“Some companies may eventually shut down or scale down operations, but new ones will also come up with new concepts to cater to new realities of the post-Coronavirus times. Who says you should not be the one to come up with new concepts in your industry if you are not too focused on the crisis instead of thinking of new opportunities the situation is throwing up.” Otufodunrin wrote.
Lessons Learnt?
From all indications, it is certain that journalists and media enthusiasts have learnt one or two lessons on weathering the COVID-19 storm. They have learnt that there are other ways of practising the profession and are harnessing the various opportunities.
They are taking more seriously, the advice of practising what they are reporting concerning being safety conscious to avoid getting infected on duty.
As professionals and not random bloggers and other citizen journalists, they need to be in the vanguard of providing verifiable information and do their best to counter fake news.
More importantly, they need to hold the government accountable for various measures being taken to curtail the spread of the virus and provide treatment for infected persons.
Olatunji Tolulope is a freelance journalist. He can be reached via his email solatunji354@gmail.com or via his Twitter Handle @ots_talks