COVID-19 lockdown very tasking for journalists – ANHEJ

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has been a very tasking time for journalists in Nigeria, says the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists (ANHEJ).

Many have been under pressure to reports COVID-19 stories from different locations and at the same time keep safe, the association’s president Hassan Zaggi said.

He spoke at the association’s fourth annual health conference, with focus on assessing reporting of COVID-19

“It was indeed very tasking that even though a journalist could not go out to source for information, but he or she is expected to get the needed information across to the people so that they can have required information to protect themselves from the diseases,” said Zaggi.

He noted the media took the risk for the good of humanity.

“In the process of doing this, journalists, especially those covering the health sector in Nigeria were over stretched, some even contacted the virus. It is pertinent to state that aside the medical experts, journalists were those who had first hand contact with victims of COVID-19 through direct exposure to patients in hospital wards and isolation centres,” he said.

“From our own assessment, we did our very best within the circumstances we found ourselves by working with medical and health experts, health-related government institutions and critical stakeholders in the health sector to ensure that Nour people are well informed about corona virus.

“We are still in the business of doing so, event as the good news of vaccine invention livens up the world.

The chairman of the Board, ANHEJ, Godwin Odemwijie, in his remark said, reportage has taking another turn while saying that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak brought a huge challenge.

He enjoined journalists to go deep investigative reporting to help uncover issues to be tackled.

The Cheif Executive Officer, International Society of Media in Public Health, Moji Makanjuola also said, “As the conference is for us to mirror ourselves as journalists in the work we are doing and also forge a way forward.

She said, “When the public said to us that they don’t have information non certain things, then, we must begin to examine ourselves adding that we must do all we can to get help because no one will do that for us if we don’t.”