COVID-19: UN urges media entreprenuers to provide PPE for their reporters

The UN Systems, Nigeria, has called on media entreprenuers to prioritise the welfare, security of their journalists and provide them with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to cover COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Edward Kallon, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator of UN Systems in Nigeria, made the call on Tuesday in a Webinar monitored in Abuja for World Press Freedom Day usually recognised every May 3.

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The webinar was hosted by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), with the theme ‘Journalism Without Fear or Favour’ and also focused on reporting in the period of pandemic.

Kallon said that practicing journalism profession in fear, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic could not be totally objective if journalists were not well catered for.

He said that covering the pandemic was similar to covering war situations, which always had uncertainties.

“To report accurately, timely, clearly, you must be at the frontline of the health emergency response, even in the face of threats of infection.

“As much as journalists are duty-bound to report without fear and hold the government accountable, media entrepreneurs should support reporters to abide by ethics of the profession.

“Many journalists across the world, including Nigeria, have reportedly been infected with COVID-19 in the line of duty.

“If we want journalism without fear or favour, media employers, entrepreneurs must be assuring in their duty of care to their reporters.

“I urge media owners and employers to provide PPE for their reporters who are on the frontline of COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Mr Ydo Yao, UNESCO Regional Office Director, Abuja, said misinformation and disinformation had become prevalent in the period of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Yao also blamed interferences like political bias, economic control, among other reasons for a fearful press.

He recalled that UNESCO’s Director General, Ms Audrey Azoulay, said that media workers were crucial in helping government, development partners and donor agencies to make informed decisions in the COVID-19 era.

“We must consider the vital importance of information in this situation and informing the public means giving everyone the means of combating the illness by adopting appropriate practices,” he said.

The director reiterated that the organisation in collaboration with other UN agencies were fighting infodemic and promoting social media campaigns, ‘Together for Facts, Science and Solidarity’ and ‘Don’t Go Viral’.

Yao said the organisation also created COVID-19 media response centre to enable journalists track fake news about the pandemic and report objectively.

Mr John Momoh, Chairman, Channels Media Group, said that fearlessness and neutrality were the core of journalism.

According to Momoh, containing the spread of COVID-19 would have been done better if the Chinese government did not censor and silence the voice of the media.

He reiterated that media owners should cater for the welfare of their journalists to ensure they add extra efforts in reporting facts.

Momoh added that the mainstream media should not allow the social media deter it from following the ethics of the profession, which was objectivity.

Mr Chris Isiguzo, President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) noted that no democracy can work efficiently, devoid of corruption without an independent media.

Isiguzo emphasised that journalists just like health workers in the fight against COVID-19, were equally at the frontlines and exposed to danger.

According to Isiguzo, there should be remedial measures to sustain the industry and ensure that journalists do not suffer more collateral dangers.

“Journalism without fear or favour can only be achieved in a situation where journalists are paid living wages and where conditions of service are crafted in a way that journalists feel secured.

“Safety and security of journalists are mandatory requirements for the attainment of quality conscience journalism which strives to ensure equity and equality in a democratic setting.

“When journalists work in fear, democracy gets crippled and citizens wallow in poverty, illiteracy, hunger and disease,” he said.

He, however, called for the unconditional release of journalists detained in the line of their jobs globally, especially Mr Kufre Carter in Akwa Ibom state detained for alleged character defamation, among other charges.

The union president lauded journalists for their role in the society, while urging them to remain resolute in holding government accountable and ensuring the nation’s development.

Mr Ahmed Nasralla, President,Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), said most West Africa countries had Rule of Law, media pluralism, but access to information was still a challenge.

Nasralla allegedly decried that stakeholders ignored independent media, adding that it was very important to strengthening democracy, good governance, transparency and ensure accountability.

He added that journalism in Africa would survive when there was indigenous standards, models that accommodates the continent’s cultural, political, sociology diversity.

“Such standards should guide and inspire us in the way we tell our stories during this pandemic and showcase the positives about us.

“For every story on Africa told by a foreign media, we must ensure we have an African version, told by us to counter misrepresentation,” he said.