“COVID-19 is a serious health crisis,” says Dr Alex Gasasira, WHO’s representative in Zimbabwe. “And in a crisis, other people are afraid, they want the data to stay safe. At the same time, many rumors and half-truths are spreading. That’s why we see fake messages and videos circulating on social media, and unfounded theories about the transmission of the virus. All these false facts can be deadly. We are facing not only a fitness crisis, but also potentially a data crisis.
As in any country, rumours, innuendo, lies and falsehoods are spreading in Zimbabwe. Recently, for example, a press release from the president’s workplace allegedly circulated on social media, declaring that the national COVID-19 lockdown had been extended. Countless other people had noticed or heard the alleged news before the press release was revealed to be false.
As of April 30, another 4 people have died from COVID-19 in Zimbabwe. The first COVID19 death in the country was a famous TV journalist, Zororo Makamba. His death prompted the country to act. ” Fortunately, that number is low right now. ” says Dr. Gasasira. But this can add up quickly, especially if the wrong information spreads quickly. “the coronavirus so the public can stay safe.
A two-day online workshop organized through the UN Communications Group, comprising all 25 UN entities, brought together 250 journalists from across the country with 50 government officials, youth leaders and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. The bloodhounds came from the 55 print, radio, virtual and other media registered in the country, as well as from the framework of the “citizen hounds” that made up the open-air official media.
The point of public wisdom about the coronavirus is low, and even some news hounds are starting to catch up. “There are a lot of things about COVID-19 that have become transparent in the workshop,” says Columbus Mavhunga, a multimedia journalist. “For example, the difference between coronavirus and COVID-19: now I know that the former is the reason for the latter. “Mavhunga said the workshop also dispelled myths about the pandemic and covered the moral dimensions of reporting on COVID-19.
Education also played a vital practical role, connecting bloodhounds with government officials, who can serve as resources for reporters. “People improvise when there is a lack of information,” adds Lynette Manzini, another journalist who attended the education. “The workshop helped bridge the gap between ministry officials and news hounds, and suffocated the vine. “
While bloodhounds have a role to play in sharing protection information, they face obstacles to putting it into practice. So says Abigail Tembo, a journalist with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the only broadcasting station in the country of 14 million people. “Viewers need audible sound. They need a human connection. That means I have to place a microphone on the lapel. I have to record the feelings and get a smart quality story,” he says. The challenge is that, like many other countries, there is a severe shortage of face masks and other protections. Even many physical care personnel lack non-public protective equipment; Journalists have even less.
“We don’t live in a vacuum. We want to pass back to our families,” Tembo said. “However, we don’t even know what we’re exposing them to, because every day we communicate with other people. If you cough or have a mild headache, you think you have coronavirus. We live in worry and anxiety.
Speaking at the training, Dr. Anywhere Mutambudzi of the Ministry of Information said news hounds receive protective devices from their employers. They can be role models for viewers. “
The burden of any fitness crisis is not similarly borne throughout society, says Dr. Brown. Angela Muriithi, Country Director of Plan International in Zimbabwe, who spoke at the workshop. “The most vulnerable populations – children, women and adolescents, young people, other people with disabilities and the elderly – are much more affected. Media professionals deserve to design more content particularly for the wishes of those groups.
“People are hungry for information,” says Hubert Gijzen, UNESCO’s Regional Director for Southern Africa, who spoke to journalists at the workshop. “The other people of Zimbabwe want you in this job. We want you to distribute the percentages of the facts and dispel the myths. Precise information is one of the equipment we have to prevent this disease. In a very genuine sense, you, the news hounds, are on the front lines of this struggle.
On 3 May, Zimbabwean bloodhounds commemorated World Press Freedom Day. Dressed in private protective devices newly acquired through the Swedish Embassy, the bloodhounds staged a traveling show with mobile screens showing the need for unfettered access to information and respect for freedom of information in general. times, even more so the fight against COVID-19.
Ballet Manguinhos, named for its favela in Rio de Janeiro, returns to the level after a long absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has as interpreters 250 young people and young people from the favela. The ballet organization provides social assistance in a network where poverty, hunger and teenage pregnancy are constant problems.
The pandemic has put many other people to the test, and news hounds are no exception. The coronavirus has waged war not only against the lives and well-being of others, but has also generated countless deceptions and clinical lies.
The pandemic has shown how vital it is that the right of access to data is reliable and that reliable and accurate data is freely available for government and citizen decision-making – a win-win situation.