Indian, Pakistani journalists gather to discuss PJ, pandemic
Last week, my colleagues and I met with 30 Indian and Pakistani journalists as part of a Cross Border Reporting project sponsored by the East West Center and Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University. 

During the first half of the presentation, journalist Stephen Franklin and the E-W Center’s Susan Kriefels led a discussion about the mental and physical trauma suffered by journalists who have the unenviable and dangerous task of reporting about the Covid-19 crisis in India and Pakistan. (See previous post below). 

In the second half of our Zoom meeting, we discussed how peace journalism might improve reporting about the pandemic. 

I asked for ideas from the Indian and Pakistani journalists on how they might join forces to improve Covid-19 reporting. These ideas included working collaboratively to debunk myths about the vaccine; sharing personal experiences of reporting in the field; reporters in Pakistan do hard-hitting stories about Indian government ineptitude in addressing the crisis (and vice versa); share facts, data, and contacts of experts for reporting; share experiences so that journalists can learn from each other’s mistakes, dispel misinformation and propaganda, and question misleading narratives.

Piggybacking on these excellent tips, I discussed how peace journalism might inform their coverage, sharing a set of PJ and trauma reporting guidelines adapted from general trauma reporting ideas from the Dart Center and the National Union of Journalists in Northern Ireland. 

Pillars of responsible Covid-19 trauma reporting 

1. Always consider the impact of your reporting. Don’t gratuitously make things worse for the people whose stories you report, or for the general public. 

2. Accuracy is param
ount. First rumors can be dramatic and exaggerated. Dangers can be under- reported or downplayed. Facts can be slippery in mid-crisis. Inaccurately quoting a victim can be traumatic; inaccurately quoting an expert (or presenting someone as an expert who isn’t) can be deadly. Check, double check, triple check facts with verified experts (virologists, epidemiologists). Remember, politicians are not experts. And don’t assume all medical doctors are experts on viruses of this sort, or on public health responses.

3. Journalists should thoughtfully select the images they use, understanding that they can misrepresent an event, exacerbate an already dire situation, and re-victimize those who have been traumatized. For example, was it necessary to use images of the burning funeral pyres in India?

4. Don’t prematurely jump on the “blame” bandwagon, or to conclusions, and consider the impact of “blame” reporting on traumatized victims and the public. Blame reporting can also undermine public confidence in legitimate treatments and mitigation initiatives. Post-pandemic, journalists should lead societal discussions about preventative and mitigation measures (without advocating for any one solution).

5. Don’t intrude on victims and their families. The National Union of Journalists (UK) code of conduct says, a journalist “does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest. Be honest and clear about what you are doing. Identify yourself.”

6. Avoid inflammatory, sensational language that exacerbates the pandemic’s trauma. 

7. Research the treatments, cures, and vaccines, so you know the background and can be sensitive to contested narratives (vaccines are dangerous, hydroxychloroquine is a cure, lockdowns aren’t necessary, etc.)

8. When reporting about the pandemic, journalists should give a voice to the vulnerable, marginalized voiceless in their societies—minorities, the poor, homeless, prisoners, immigrants, etc. As we know, these groups have been disproportionately impacted by the virus (medically and economically).

9. Journalists should reject formulaic, stereotypical coverage and instead offer counternarratives about the pandemic’s impact, vaccine-hesitant persons, medical workers, devastated businesses, etc.

I hope the journalists find these useful, and that they took to heart our advice from the first half of the meeting to make a concerted effort to tend to their mental and physical well-being.