Journalism is a creative profession that largely takes place in the field. A journalist comes into contact with the people of different walks of life, makes use of documents, cultivates resources, visits different locations and observe unusual happenings. Early media practitioners used to term the news reporting as a sort of 'legwork,' meaning that a reporter has to continuously manoeuvre.
However, the invention of telephone and internet had reduced much of the legwork, and reporting is no longer a 'blue collar' job. But reporters' thirst is seldom satisfied without making movements, meeting people and having a cup of coffee with them, attending press conferences and visiting the event sites and attending reception and dinner functions.
Nonetheless, the very profession has been limited to conversation over cell phones at the office or home with very little or no movement. For many reporters, this means having no news. It was very awkward situation for the journalists who were on the frontlines during the disasters like earthquake and wars. It is disappointing to many.
But this is not the case as there are effective methods for news reporting while staying at home or office. All you need to do is to pay attention to the story ideas floating around, getting more information and finding someone to verify it. Remember that to be able to report a story, you need to be healthy and safe, and there is no safer place out in the world than your home.
Social media
So far as story idea is concerned, take tips from social media. Now everyone is using social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube to share his/her ideas and information. Concerned government agencies have also shown their presence through social networking platforms. Just to take an example, every media in Nepal last week wrote the story about 'the road constructed by India in Nepali territory in Kalapani area' with the tip from Twitter.
Indian Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh and his ministry tweeted about the opening of the road. Just make sure that you follow the government authorities, officials and ministers, experts, fellow journalists of your interest area or beat so that you don't miss any important information and update. Health, home, communication and finance ministries, health departments and district administrative offices can be the primary sources during the pandemic.
Other sources of information are coronavirus update database like worldometer.info, fund raising, relief distributing organisations, press releases from the business and organisations that operate during lockdown period, government decisions, steps and announcements. Many stakeholders are organising webinars and Zoom meetings on pertinent issues like economic revival, health, online education and e-payment. Just give half-an-hour a day to find what is happening where and when, you get it all from the online sources.
Don't hesitate to nurture the relations with the whistleblowers since the fast track procurement on the pretext of crisis often promotes corruption. Likewise, talk to your relatives or friends and know about their concerns like health, information technology, telecommunication, food supply, education or the like, they will surely feed you the necessary information upon which you can construct news stories.
When you get the story ideas, you have to make sure of having the quotes from the relevant persons or authorities and documents that support your news. If you feel handicapped due to lockdown, talk to your sources via telephone and ask them to send the documents via email. If the source is hesitating to send it through the popular communication channel, ask him to send it via Viber which encrypts the message and it is easy to avoid the scrutiny from the IT department of the office or higher officials. Most of the offices have spokespersons and their contact numbers and emails can be obtained from their websites. Internet has been another luxury as you can find older document archives online.
Similarly, decisions of the Cabinet and high-level committee on coronavirus, policy and activities of the Ministry of Health and Population and its agencies, demands of the business organisations like the Federation of Nepali Chambers of Commerce and Industry and information about foreign support can be obtained easily from the internet. Most of the ministries are prompt enough to post their decisions online at the earliest. You can verify the information from the relevant sources. To follow the human trail, keep the spokesperson or your privy sources in the loop so that they can check the information for you.
Avoid attention seekers
But stay away from the self-made experts, attention seekers, pessimists and sources that are easily available who keep boasting about themselves but may not render relevant information. As there were a few experts on earthquake when the 6.9 magnitude tremor hit the nation in 2015, there are even fewer experts who can talk authoritatively about coronavirus.
This is about science, not speeches. And you should be reporting, not analysing. It means you have to be selective while using the sources in your news. If you don't get the relevant paper or a person to verify the information, wait for some time to find another one. Online journalists particularly might feel the heat if they have to hold the story for even a couple of minutes, but it is better to wait than misinform.
Top of all, you must not think it as an 'arm-chair reporting' and exhibit lethargy in reaching out to the sources and use imaginary sources or anonymous one. Disasters test the mettle of the journalists and those who put extra efforts during the hard times and create good products will meet the demand of the profession and last long.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 May 2020.
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