admin | May 4, 2015
The outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa and the H1N1 virus in tropical and other parts of the world are examples of health epidemics that severely tested news media. News events that involve bioterrorism or chemical and radiation emergencies pose another set of risks for reporters and photojournalists who cover them.
This guide from the Committee to Protect Journalists describes what journalists need to know to stay safe in a new and changing world. It is aimed at local and international journalists with varied levels of experience.
The guide states: “Any journalist planning to cover a disease epidemic or a man-made health emergency should be in good health, have an immune system that is not compromised, and have no existing condition that could predispose him or her to illness.”
Chapter eight of the guide is entitled Health Epidemics and Mass Hazards. It provides basic information for those covering or reporting from a dangerous or potentially life-threatening situation, and offers tips on how best to protect oneself.
To read this chapter, and to access the other chapters in the document, go to: https://cpj.org/reports/2012/04/health-epidemics-and-mass-hazards.php