Media Working Group

RCCE and Media Subgroup

The Working Group

Media – from print, radio and TV to on-line – plays an important role in building understanding about  the challenges people in different situations and contexts can and do face during a pandemic, and can facilitate conversations on how best to respond to these. Media content can provide support, challenge misinformation, and help people to take positive actions for themselves and others. It helps people connect with each other, hold responders and leaders to account, and provides the opportunity to switch off from the pandemic when needed.

The COVID-19 “infodemic” has highlighted the way in which people need information while also feeling overwhelmed by it. Sometimes information from another part of the world reaches people faster than the decisions made locally. Reliable information and misinformation are also shared through the same channels, which can make it hard for people to determine who and what to trust, what actions to take, and what actions not to take.  Local, national and international media can help people to navigate this, especially during times of crisis.

The Media Working Group was created to help strengthen the role of media and communication in the COVID-19 response, and as part of future pandemic prevention and response efforts.

Objectives

Sharing tools

Increase access to tools and resources for media partners on the pandemic, response and infodemic  management. Promote accuracy and communication best practice.

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Promote the role of Media

Increase understanding amongst RCCE partners of the role media and communication in pandemic response and infodemic management.

Decision making

Improve understanding amongst donors and decision makers of the role of media and  communication within the RCCE mechanism as part of pandemic and infodemic response. 

Resources for Media

Communicating in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Projects, support and training:

LINKS

Internews: Infohygiene in Times of Pandemics

BBC Media Action : the New coronavirus and COVID-19 handbook for Media

Updated handbook for media on SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and COVID-19 – additional resources and training on the last couple of pages:

BBC Media Action : Response to COVID-19

First Draft

Resources and training on COVID-19 and infodemic management

Foundation Hirondelle

Journalism, training and resource

Health information and statistics

Hygiene Hub

Resources and a chat function to ask questions about the coronavirus and COVID-19

WHO: COVID-19

Fact sheets, advice for the public, infographics, Science in 5

WHO: COVID-19 Dashboard

Dashboard for every country – infection rates, death rates, vaccine roll out and uptake

John Hopkins University: COVID-19 Dashboard

Dashboard for every country – infection rates, death rates, vaccine roll out and uptake

WHO: Early AI-supported Response with Social Listening

Social listening data, tracking the infodemic

Infodemic Management

WHO: understanding the infodemic

Africa Infodemic Response Alliance

WHO: COVID-19 Dashboard

Dashboard for every country – infection rates, death rates, vaccine roll out and uptake

First Draft

Tips, advice and training for journalists addressing misinformation, reporting on the pandemic and more

Africa Check

Fact-checking for Africa regions

Knowledge Hub

Internews Community Engagement & the Media

Local Media and Community Engagement in Humanitarian Settings

Community engagement hub

IFRC’s documentation, guidance and tools on engaging community for Outbreak Response 

Save the Children Resources Hub

Save the Children’s strategies for vaccination uptake in multiple languages and contexts

Training

Infodemic management 101

OpenWHO

Read more

The course comprises an introduction, five modules and three skills lab covering an overview of the COVID-19 infodemic that we’re all facing, strategies and tools to navigate through it, expose tactics employed by malicious actors in the infodemic, and support friends and family with building resilience against misinformation and disinformation.

Lifeline communication

BBC Media Action

Read more

Lifeline programming is special media programming for people who are affected by humanitarian crises. It aims to give them a voice and provide timely, relevant and practical information to help alleviate their suffering and assist with their recovery. It can play an important role in strengthening community engagement and accountability of relief providers. This site has tools and resources for media and aid workers on Lifeline programming and on using media and communication to help people in humanitarian emergencies.

READY Initiative Online Courses

READY Initiative

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READY’s trainings equip learners with skills and approaches to use in planning and delivering effective outbreak response in humanitarian settings

Contact

Genevieve Hutchinson

Subgroup Chair

BBC Media Action

genevieve.hutchinson@bbc.co.uk

Stijn Aelbers

Co-Chair

Internews

saelbers@internews.org