COVID-19: Journalists too need assistance in basic PPEs

 

By Duncan Mlanjira 

It’s quite commendable that the general public is responding well to calls for adherence to the rigorous preventive measures in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) that has seen some people wearing masks, gloves and carrying hand sanitisers as they do their daily business while at the same time observing social distancing.

The sensitization campaign is been propagated by the Government and all stakeholders through the health personnel and the media.

The health personnel, while making sure people with suspect cases that they get in contact with are safe from contracting the virus, they themselves need to be secured against the COVID-19 and have been asking for personal protective equipment (PPEs).

In all these developments, since the Government acted to sensitize the public how deadly the COVID-19 is, the media has also been on the frontline as a direct link to the masses.

But none, except for very few media houses, have been given access to basic PPEs i.e. face masks, hand gloves and hand sanitizers.

It is in that vein that in Nigeria, owner of Water Football Club, Nureni Makanjuola has decided to donate medical face masks, hand gloves and sanitisers that country’s journalists as a recognition that they too are at risk because their job entails that they get closer to the masses.

After Malawi President Peter Mutharika announced a national lockdown that was supposed to be effected from Sunday for 21 days, people were not happy with the decision, saying the masses cannot afford to stay idle for three weeks since they economically survive through hand to mouth.

And on Thursday and Friday, vendors in the cities of Mzuzu, Blantyre and Lilongwe, defied the social distancing decree by taking to the streets demanding that the Government should rescind its decision to execute the lockdown.

In all these protests, the media had to be there to cover the proceedings, thereby putting themselves at risk of infection, thus the need for them to make sure they also are provided with basic PPEs.

That is why proprietor of the Nigerian football club, Nureni Makanjuola made news in his country and was applauded for his commitment to support the fight against COVID-19.

Even the journalists congratulated Makanjuola, pledging to work up to their optimum to strengthen sound reportage of sporting events as well as sensitising people on the necessary preventive measures to be adhered to.

Has any of the stakeholders considered Malawi’s media in the same way? “Not yet” says Football Journalists Association of Malawi (FJA) president, Joy Ndovi, of the Nation Publications.

“But we have engaged with several organisations and individuals to assist us and the response has been good. 

“We will be going all out shortly and this will not only be for football journalists, but players as well.”

He acknowledged that just like other members of society in the forefront in disseminating preventive messages, journalist indeed need these PPes in the fight against Coronavirus. 

“Spot checks indicate that our members have not been receiving these PPEs, [even from their media houses] — hence our decision to try and source for them.”

Ndovi, an award winning sports journalist, said there are numerous challenges that football journalists are facing in the wake of cancellation of all sporting events.

“I would say 90 percent of the stories that our journalist pursue are events-based with football matches dominating most the stories. 

“With no football activities around, our members have struggled to come up with stories that are relevant but we have asked them to take the Coronavirus as a wake-up call. 

“There are so many analytical stories they can do now. We encourage them to borrow a leaf from foreign sports media outlets such as BBC, Skysports, Goal.com etc on how they are handling the Coronavirus situation. 

“It’s time now to concentrate on human interest stories on football rather than the results or media briefings based stories they have been relying on all along.”

He took cognizance that in general the Malawi media has and is doing a great job in informing the public on the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Most of the stories published in print and online or aired on radios and TVs for the past three weeks have been on COVID-19.

“I would say 99 percent stories in sports pages are also on Coronavirus. But we can improve in terms of what areas to concentrate on to give readers, listeners and viewers diverse news angles for their appreciation when they are observing the stay at home measure of containing the pandemic,” Ndovi said.