Journalists advised to avoid field reporting

Fri, May 15, 2020

PESHAWAR: Experts have advised journalists to adopt protective measures and use other sources of communication instead of visiting field during reporting on Covid-19 to stay safe from the pandemic.

Addressing an online seminar here the other day, Unicef’s Dr Mohammad Johar Khan and Shadab Younas informed the local journalists about use of masks and other protective measures to safeguard them against the infection, which according to them was spreading fast.

On the occasion, Imran Yousafzai, the general secretary of Peshawar Press Club, demanded of the government to conduct free Covid-19 tests of journalists and financially assist the reporters, who contracted the infectious ailment during the course of their assignments.

“To minimise the risk of exposure, telephone or online assignments should be done instead of face-to-face interviews by journalists while those in old age group, or having underlying health conditions or women with pregnancies must avoid direct contacts,” said the speakers.

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They said that reporters should take all precautions to stay safe from the virus and be mindful of the management’s plan for their support in case they fell ill during duty and should strictly adhere to the basic principles of social distancing.

The speakers said that journalists should know in advance about the hygiene measures in areas and location where they were going to do stories and in case of any doubts, they shouldn’t go there.

Any kind of healthcare facility housing elderly and sick people and social gatherings should be avoided while strict cleaning and disinfecting regime should be adopted, they added.

They said that the vehicles should be thoroughly cleaned after any assignment by properly trained people with particular focus on door handles, steering wheel, gearstick, handbrake lever, headrests, seatbelts, dashboard and window winder, etc.

The speakers said that reporters should use low cost earpieces and treat them as disposable stuff and monitor their health for signs and symptoms continuously and should opt for self-isolation after any high-risk assignment in addition to measures like avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth and eating half-cooked food.

They said that Covid-19 cases were increasing at an alarming speed around the world and Pakistan was no exception.

“This situation has posed increased risk of infection from infected people from China, Iran, Italy and Afghanistan to local population,” they added.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2020

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