Journalists must Comply with the Security Protocol for Coverage Covid-19 |

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The media reported the deaths of six doctors and several nurses in Indonesia due to Covid-19 infection from patients. This incident was partly due to the limitations of personal protective equipment. Amid the growing number of patients throughout the world every day, the number of paramedics is expected to increase. But this condition even threatened to expose the paramedics Covid-19.

Aside from paramedics, another profession that is also vulnerable is journalists who are always in the field: hospitals and other public spaces. The safety of journalists must be the main concern. First by journalists themselves, media companies, and also the government.

Unfortunately, there are still many who consider trivial efforts to prevent the Covid-19 virus. In Indonesia, there was a viral picture of a journalist who was taking videos in a hospital without using personal protective equipment, even the minimum one like a mask.

According Committee to Protect Journalists, the COVID-19 virus (also known as novel coronavirus) is now present across every continent, excluding Antarctica, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31, 2020; raised its global risk assessment from “high” to “very high” on February 28, and subsequently declared a pandemic on March 11, according to news reports.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), a journalist organization in Indonesia that is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), issued the Covid-19 Coverage and Coverage Security Protocol.

As the name implies, this protocol provides guidance in covering and reporting about Covid-19. In the coverage process, AJI conveys protocal in three parts, namely before doing coverage, when doing coverage, and guidance for journalists who have been in contact with Covid-19 patients. This protocol is not only for journalists, but also for media companies.

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Before reporting

Media companies should also have their own protocols for reporting assignments. Not only coverage for Covid-19 issues or Corona virus, but all coverage issues. Journalists can be contaminated with viruses not only in hospitals or when covering Corona news, but can be infected anywhere, anytime.

Media companies must have the medical records of all journalists so that they do not assign assignments to journalists who are vulnerable or have a history of health problems. Media companies are also required to complete personal protective equipment for journalists such as masks that meet health standards, hand sanitizers and disposable gloves.

In addition, media companies always have to educate journalists and all employees, spray disinfectants in the office, and consider the psychological impact on journalists covering Covid-19. Reporters who are infected with Covid-19 must get a living allowance.

It is important to remember, journalists must make a daily trip record that contains the destination location, travel route, resource persons or contacts found. It's important to look at the journalist's track record when he is infected.

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During the coverage

During the coverage is the most important time for journalists to avoid being infected by Covid-19, especially if coverage is in a crowd such as markets, airports, ports, including hospitals. Each journalist must strictly adhere to safe procedures during coverage in hospital areas or areas exposed to Corona.

It may seem excessive, but it's very important: journalists must always use personal protective equipment, including bodysuits, and masks. There are at least 14 points that must be obeyed during coverage to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

Covid-19 news publication

Now many hoax information circulating about Covid-19 ranging from patients, drugs, to other information. For this reason, journalists need to apply the principle of responsible, sensitive, empathetic, and accurate coverage.

Journalists also do not preach the patient's identity and avoid using adjectives that can add to public anxiety such as "this deadly virus" or associate viruses with certain racist states.

If this protocol is studied more deeply, it will educate the public about Covid-19 and support prevention programs together. The role of journalists in reducing panic is also very central so it must have broad insight like medical personnel.[]

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Source:

1. cpj.org/2020/02/cpj-safety-advisory-covering-the-coronavirus-outbr.php
2. https://gijn.org/2020/03/10/tips-for-journalists-covering-covid-19/
3. http://ksp.go.id/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Protokol-Kesehatan-COVID-19…
4. https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/id/coronavirus
5. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
6. https://infeksiemerging.kemkes.go.id/

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