admin | March 23, 2015
The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) is organizing free webinars on Ebola and infectious diseases, two in English and one in French.
WFSJ says that the outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa highlights the urgent need to help scientists, journalists and communities communicate more effectively. Beyond the devastating outcome of Ebola, poor communications clearly heightened public apprehension, and may have caused confusion among scientists and journalists reporting on the outbreak.
Reporters, editors, producers, bloggers and anyone who wants to give their audience a better understanding of the evolving story about the spread of Ebola or other infectious diseases is welcome to sign up for the webinars.
The one-hour webinars target both specialized and non-specialized journalists. They will raise journalists’ awareness of the current situation and the longer-term outlook on Ebola by offering participants:
- a brief overview of the situation
- a basic toolbox for health and science reporting
- waysto accurately report on infectious diseases within a meaningful context
The webinar will provide an update on the latest developments and breakthroughs in treating Ebola, and on the lessons to be learned from the outbreak and the media coverage of the epidemic.
The English webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 25 from 3-4 pm GMT, and hosted by Martin Enserink.
The French webinar will he held on Thursday, March 26 from 1-2 pm GMT, and hosted by Claire Hédon.
Once you have chosen the webinar in which you wish to take part, you can interact in real time through the virtual room made available through Newswise Live.
- Get access to the room by downloading a simple app on your computer, tablet or smartphone at: http://zoom.us/support/download
- Join the meeting room by following this link: https://newswiselive.zoom.us/j/7459578068
You can also participate via live stream. Go to the Ebola course website (http://wfsj.org/ebola/) and click on the button marked “Webinar menu.” The webinar will be streamed live via the website. No sign-up or downloads are required. There is, however, a 30-second delay because of streaming delivery protocols.
If you encounter technical problems, contact Lucas Clugston at Newswise Live: lucas@newswise.com or +1 434 296 9417.
The recorded webinar videos will be made available on the website.
The WFSJ has also developed a free online course on Ebola and infectious diseases in English and French. The course content is aimed mainly at journalists who are interested in reporting on Ebola but who lack basic knowledge of the disease and how to report on it. The English version of the course went online on Monday, March 16. The French version will be online on Tuesday, March 24. For more information, go to: http://www.wfsj.org/ebola