CJE cautions against ‘infodemic’ in COVID-19 reporting

Thursday, 9 April 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Centre for Journalism and Education (CJE) urged media institutions, journalists and media personalities/influencers to avoid discriminatory rhetoric, misinformation and disinformation when reporting on any and all matters related to the new coronavirus.

“Ethical journalism lies at the core of good journalism. Particularly at a time of unprecedented crisis, it is the responsibility of all individuals and institutions providing information to the public to adhere to the core principles of truth and accuracy, fairness and impartiality, humanity, accountability and independence,” the organisation stated in a news release.

CJE said that Sri Lanka, like most other countries in the world, was in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, with the Government, security and health authorities continuing to battle against the spread of this disease.

“While crises generally have the effect of bringing people together, recently however, distorted and false information that supports racism has begun to circulate on social and mainstream media, undermining these efforts,” it said.

CJE added that at stake however was more than journalism itself. “Attempting to blame a minority group of people for the spread of the disease in the nation is not only unfactual and unethical but also puts the whole country at risk. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the threat of misinformation related to the novel coronavirus pandemic an ‘infodemic’ as it poses a serious threat to public health. To quote the WHO Director-General, ‘the stigma is more dangerous than the virus itself’,” the organisation said.

Reporting during a pandemic is no easy task and many good journalists put themselves at risk to provide clear, concise and up-to-date information to the public. Others, however, by forcing a fear-based response, are creating confusion, stigmatising an entire group of people, putting victims and their families at risk of violence, and distracting others from following the guidelines issued by the authorities. They are also working in direct contravention of the guidelines issued to the media by the Ministry of Health.

To assist in combatting this deadly epidemic, the Centre for Journalism and Education has created and made available educational material for journalists, media institutions and even media personalities/influencers to utilise when reporting on the pandemic. See https://www.facebook.com/pg/Centre-for-Journalism-and-Education-104928591056073/photos/?tab=album&album_id=105704200978512.

Unlike humans, viruses do not discriminate, based on race or religion. Journalists, media institutions and media personalities/influencers, particularly at a time of crisis such as this, have a responsibility to report accurately in a manner that does not cause harm to an individual, community, or country.

“Utilising fear to target a vulnerable group and divide a nation of people does not lead to a path of safety. Let’s work to ensure the health and safety of all peoples,” the Centre stated.

The Centre for Journalism and Education is dedicated to the development of journalism in Sri Lanka. A non-partisan and non-profit organisation, its aim is to create an ethical, innovative and sustainable journalistic practice across the island, because ‘good journalism leads to healthier societies’.