COVID-19 has significantly affected journalism – local journalists

President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Nazima Raghubir, has disclosed that, locally, journalism and the lives of journalists have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
She made this statement during a panel discussion hosted by the United States Embassy under the theme “Preserving Journalistic Integrity amidst a Global Pandemic”.
Raghubir explained that media houses in Guyana had been tasked with providing live coverage for a turbulent electoral process and the pandemic simultaneously.
“When the pandemic became that thing that really changed our lives, Guyana was in the midst of an election cycle which lasted for five months. Prior to that, the media here was taken up by the no-confidence motion that was passed…and then the elections,” she detailed.
She explained that with the need to keep the public informed and to remain safe amid the pandemic, journalists were tasked with learning how to navigate throughout the unprecedented time.
“There were so many dos and don’ts at the beginning – there still are – you really had to navigate how you would have brought information to your audience,” she explained.

President of GPA, Nazima Raghubir

Raghubir added that the media have also made changes as to how information is gathered and how fast it is disseminated.
“You’re required to compete with lives news and bring live information…The media (have) been caught up in covering national issues, like the vaccination process,” Raghubir related.

Raghubir detailed that as a journalist focused on health and science, reports were initially penned with a heavy research-based background. However, due to the need for live coverage, this has been slightly altered.
“You’re always competing with this live information and getting things out as soon as possible,” she explained.

Regional journalist Wesley Gibbings

Meanwhile, speaking from a regional perspective, Wesley Gibbings, an award-winning Trinidadian journalist, said there have been significant changes to the regional media landscape.
Gibbings explained that as media houses suffered tremendous economic strains during the pandemic, they sacrificed values and standards in exchange for commercial viability.
He added that issues which were not considered as “hard news”, like for example health, have now become the main focus of journalism.
“A coverage of health was seen as the soft side in the newsroom, but it’s now front and centre”, he explained.
Moreover, he stated that working throughout the pandemic has been an extremely difficult transition for journalists. (G15)