The support of UNESCO’s Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists helped develop and fund a massive open online course (MOOC) entitled “Journalism in a pandemic: Covering COVID-19 now and in the future”, which was co-organized with the Knight Center for Journalism at the University of Texas in collaboration with WHO and UNDP and additional support from the European Union and the Knight Foundation.
Designed to equip media professionals with the knowledge and skills for accurate reporting on the cri-sis, to ensure their safety in the field and to detect and debunk the ‘disinfodemic’ around COVID-19, the course was launched in May 2020, during the onset of the first global wave of the pandemic, in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish and Portuguese) and with a specific module for Latin America. During its initial 4-week run, the course attracted close to 9,000 journalists from 162 countries. Since then, it remains available as a self-directed course that can be followed from anywhere in the world and at any time. With further support from the MDP, it has been made available in two additional languages, Arabic and Russian.
Ms Elissar Naddaf, Mr Emmanuel Rubagumya and Mr Ricardo Rivas are three journalists who took part in the course and have agreed to tell us about their experience. Respectively based in Lebanon, Tanzania and Argentina, all three work with different types of media and in different capacities. Ms Naddaf, who has over 30 years of experience in Lebanese media, currently works for national Radio Liban and as an Advisor on francophone media to the Minister of Information. Mr Rubagumya writes for national newspaper Daily News and has been published in regional outlets like AllAfrica on issues related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Mr Rivas is a correspondent for Paraguayan daily newspaper La Nación as well as the Vice-President of the South American Union of Correspondents (UNAC).
In your experience, what were the main highlights and takeaways from this course?
Elissar Naddaf: Without a doubt, the strong point of this course for me was the facilitators. Firstly, because they are journalists with good experience in this field. Secondly, because the method of presentation of the courses was accessible, clear and based on concrete examples.
Emmanuel Rubagumya: Sincerely, the whole course was an eye opener for me. The part that covered the history of pandemics in the world was great. Learning about prior pandemics, the risks they posed and the need to plan for future epidemics added much value on my part.
Ricardo Rivas: For me, there were several, like the quality of the content and the wealth of knowledge it provides. The outstanding speakers who shared their professional experiences with us were also a highlight. Finally, the module led by Federico Kukso [facilitator of the Spanish version of the MOOC] on the ‘disinfodemic’ during which journalists of the highest level trained us in fact-checking to reduce the circulation of false news. This kind of training needs to be repeated.
What issues covered in the course were particularly relevant for your national or regional context?
Elissar Naddaf: In Lebanon, the main challenges are transparency, awareness-raising and credibility. The most useful module for me, and one that converges with my work over the past year with WHO and UNICEF, is undoubtedly the module on combating false information. This is the theme of an awareness campaign that the Lebanese Ministry of Information has set up in collaboration with the two international organizations to put an end to fake news.
Emmanuel Rubagumya: The second module that covered the rapid spread of the pandemic and attempts to control it was very relevant. As it is known now, various countries around the world came up with different means to control the pandemic. However, it is evident that a technique used in one country will not necessarily work in another country. I have learnt that solutions work best by considering several and unique factors of a particular country.
Ricardo Rivas: Above anything else, the skills acquired to contrast, verify and validate information that circulates in relation to the pandemic, whether it is official information or not. It is not easy, due to the urgency that usually accompanies journalistic publications, to work long enough to check in depth the reports that are issued both by government agencies and by private sector apparatuses. Hence, the knowledge and skills acquired during the MOOC are of utmost relevance to overcome such difficulties.
Have you been able to apply the knowledge and skills gained during the course to your daily work?
Emmanuel Rubagumya: I have several articles in the pipeline. For example, the use of herb medicines in combating COVID-19 has attracted many people in Tanzania and Africa in general. I am researching on this matter. The skills I acquired during the MOOC greatly help me.
Ricardo Rivas: Yes, I used them. Both in the course of radio and television interviews for which I was called, and to write my columns and stories in La Nación. I published 4 stories that I constructed with the information and knowledge received in the MOOC. The strategy applied in each case was to introduce scientific information with supporting statistics in texts outside the specific section for these topics in the newspaper. This decision made it possible for more readers to access this content, which was very well received.
Do you believe this course changed your understanding and coverage of the pandemic?
Elissar Naddaf: The course indeed added a lot of information to my knowledge on this subject.
Emmanuel Rubagumya: No doubt, it would have been very different. A lot of arguments were useful. However, arguments by the course’s resource persons on ‘epidemic of information’ in short ‘Infodemic’ was super good. I am more aware of the fact that journalists as amplifiers of information should be very careful on what we report or quote. Failure to do that, we will be causing more harm than good.
Ricardo Rivas: It surely did. I would not have had adequate tools to receive, contrast and verify information related to the pandemic that was issued by multiple public and private sources. It is even very likely that, unintentionally, out of ignorance, my attempts to verify each of them would not have been made with the correct sources.
Building on the success of this course and driven by the same determination to help journalists around the world improve their coverage of the COVID-19 health crisis, UNESCO has renewed its fruitful partnership with the Knight Center for Journalism and will launch in March 2021 a second MOOC entitled “Covering the COVID-19 vaccine: What journalists need to know”. This new course is made possible thanks to support from UNDP, WHO and the European Union.
About the Multi-Donor Programme for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP)
The MDP serves to further strengthen UNESCO’s work at a global, regional, and national levels, by channeling funds towards emerging priorities and the most pressing needs to achieve its mandate on freedom of expression. It enables UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector to address complex issues through the design and implementation of holistic medium and long-term interventions at national, regional and global levels. The clear advantage of this mechanism is that it allows UNESCO and its partners to achieve greater impact and sustainability, whilst reducing fragmentation of activities in the same field.
