March 18, 2016 By Victoria Saffa
The Independent Media Commission (IMC), with support from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Wednesday validated the draft guidelines on reporting public health emergencies and other national disasters.
The guidelines were developed under a project titled ‘Popularization of Ebola Virus Disease reporting guidelines for journalists in Sierra Leone’, with an objective to develop a national reporting guidelines on Ebola that would enhance reporting by journalists across the country, as well as serving as a cornerstone for self-regulation.
The validation process brought together a twelve man committee, comprising representatives from Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Independent Radio Network (IRN), Guild of Editors, Health Alert, Ministry of Health, National HIV/AIDS Secretariat, Commissioners of the IMC, Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, Office of the National Security, Sierra Leone Bar Association, and the Mass Communications Department at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
While presenting the draft reporting guidelines, Head of Department of Mass Communications at Fourah Bay College, Hindolo Tonya Musa stated that the draft document contains twelve guidelines.
He said media practitioners were cognisant of their rights to freedom of expression and of the press and that they also recognised the need to fulfill their responsibilities in society, which includes the media creating a platform to articulate and address issues of national concern like the emergence and spread of major outbreaks, diseases and national disasters.
He said media practitioners must be aware of international, regional, local protocols, as well as legal frameworks that shape and guide reporting on health emergencies and other national disaster situations, noting that they should know national laws relating to such coverage and reportage and should endeavour to learn and au fait with medical terminologies and protocols, restrictions, embargoes and clearance necessary for the safety and security of journalists in reporting outbreaks.
Mr. Musa maintained that journalists must understand vulnerability analysis before reporting on diseases and other disaster issues, noting that all stories aired by media practitioners on health emergencies and other national disaster situations must be presented with accuracy, truth and impartiality.