In June, Internews President and CEO Jeanne Bourgault submitted testimony to US Senate Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Committee on Appropriations focused on the urgency of access to timely, relevant trusted information amid the global pandemic of COVID-19.

“In an information climate as complex as that surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak – and when face-to-face interactions are severely limited – local media has a vital role to play in communicating with communities, providing timely, accurate and trustworthy information, as well as channels for gathering and addressing feedback from vulnerable people,” Bourgualt states.

“With supportive programming to help spread accurate, trusted information, we are able to elevate local voices to the global stage, and to address global challenges at the community level.”

Read the testimony.

(Banner photo: Journalists film at a Black Lives Matter protest in DC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit Patricia Chadwick/Internews)