The Ethical Journalism Network (EJN) and Internews Europe today announce the launch of a joint series of articles, seeking to highlight the ethics of reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic. “Ethics in Practice” will spotlight the experiences of  journalists, civil rights activists and health experts around the world working to raise awareness of the pandemic and the challenges they face, from addressing the absence of marginalised voices, to the rising trend of “copy-paste journalism.”  The series will complement the existing Ethics in the News series which the EJN has been running since the start of the pandemic, offering different voices and perspectives from partners who work with Internews.  

In a global pandemic, access to trustworthy information is not just important – it can save lives. Journalists play a pivotal role in providing that information, yet they now face enormous new challenges in doing so. This series of articles looks at some of the problems faced and presents some solutions to help journalists everywhere report better.

“This global pandemic has underscored the essential need for trustworthy, reliable journalism that holds those in power to account and shows humanity. Around the world, we have seen governments try to use COVID-19 as a cloak to clamp down on press freedoms, at a time when this pandemic has exposed the systemic inequities in our societies,” says Hannah Storm, CEO of the Ethical Journalism Network. “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Internews Europe to elevate the voices of a diverse set of people who are doing such essential work on the information frontlines of this pandemic.”

With this series of articles, we hope to inform, enlighten and inspire readers – and to strengthen solidarity amongst the journalism and media development community. COVID-19 is affecting everyone in a multitude of ways – the journalists behind these stories are confronted with some of the most challenging contexts, yet they are finding a way through the government blockades, the lack of safety equipment and the failing business models to bring news to people where and when it matters most.

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO Internews, Europe said “COVID-19 is a threat to all of us, but it is the poor, the marginalised and the vulnerable who are most at risk and all too often it is those who are worst impacted that are denied a voice to demand change. This series of articles seeks to redress that balance.”

Internews

Internews, an international non-profit organization, has nearly 40 years’ experience working with journalists and media outlets in some of the most challenging environments in the world: from refugee camps in Kenya, to journalists on health crises like Ebola, to local reporters exposing corruption.

Ethical Journalism Network

The Ethical Journalism Network is an alliance of reporters, editors and publishers aiming to strengthen journalism around the world. We work to build trust in news media through training, education and research because we believe that fact-based communications delivered by well-trained and ethical media professionals are essential to help people better understand the world around them.

(Banner photo: In Ethiopia, Yedidiya Sisay attends classes via radio, a government initiative to support studying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: UNICEF/Nahom Tesfaye/Flickr)