The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) has developed a guide for reporting on pandemics, including the novel Covid-19 and related strains. Working in partnership with Fray College and Internews, the project has drawn from the experiences of many journalists infected and affected by the pandemic. It has ensured that the media records the challenges and lessons learnt about the pandemic for future referencing and prevention.
The public needs accurate reporting of the pandemic to bring home the continued need for responsible behaviour. The project noted that adherence to social distancing and other preventative measures is decreasing as citizens consider the threat to be waning, even as the second wave of pandemic’s infections hit some part of the country.
SANEF chairperson, Sibusiso Ngalwa, said the document on guidelines for reporting the pandemics is being released just as the country is in the grip of a “third wave” of infections.
Mr Ngalwa said: “The guide highlights the importance of good local Covid-19 coverage and gives media practitioners the needed technical understanding to accurately convey information about the pandemic. It also enlightens journalists on tackling disinformation, misinformation and myths surrounding the pandemic and the vaccines.”
“We believe that the guidelines will ensure that newsrooms do not lose focus, maintain standards and the momentum for public adherence to COVID-19 protocols,” he added.
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday 27 July 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concerns on rising recorded daily infections that were reaching levels last seen in a second wave in January 2021.
“Additional restrictions are necessary… Our focus is on limiting social contacts while preserving the economy,” Ramaphosa said.
He announced new measures that included closing schools, prohibiting all gatherings and introduced a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. and banned the sale of alcohol. Restaurants were restricted to only be able to sell food for takeaway or delivery.
SANEF started the project after noting that some internationally produced toolkits on handling the pandemic have not dealt directly and in-depth with the unique challenges of reporting in a South African context. The project sought to reflect home-grown knowledge on how to report safely in the African context and taking into consideration the socio-economic dynamics of the country.
Accordingly, Sanef undertook a consultative process involving community and science journalists to develop a guide for reporting on this pandemic in line with the needs of South African reporters and society at large. As a result, the guide is aligned with scientific understanding and the needs of media practitioners. It was written by a team of credible and experienced writers and signed off by the SANEF’s Education and Training committee which has experienced editors and academics.
Note to Editors: The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
For more information, read the original story here.
To sign up for the "Reporting the Pandemic Guide" launch, click here.
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