What Journalists Can Learn From COVID 19

The novel coronavirus, COVID 19, has ravaged party and industry. By its influence, all have had to adapt to what has become, and will be, the new norm. Some changes have been mammoth and stretch beyond established status quos, threatening the very premise of things once thought to be true.In offices globally, desks and chairs both yearn for their human counterparts, who now work remotely afront dimly lit computer screens as businesses grapple with what has proven to be - unfamiliar. 

For all the bad COVID 19 has wrought - and the bad is, quite literally, unfathomable - it teaches a particularly peculiar lesson in resilience, honesty, fearlessness, and passion. This curiosity, if applied to the industry of Journalism by its practitioners, will prove valuable and indispensable. 

Resilience

Economies and their affiliate markets shudder at the very thought of unpredictability, and rightfully so. No industry which relies almost entirely on trends or predictions would feel comfortable amid such a dubious state of affairs. However, for the journalist, this will always be his reality. 

Stories are seldom as they seem, leading to much anxiety and frustration, especially for a novice reporter. Canceled interviews and other barriers to information, thwart enthusiasm, and prompt a tangent of self-loathing and contempt. 

Well, at least, it can. 

COVID 19 demands subservience. It's a pulseless tyrant who would much prefer a world on its knees. Yet, that is a luxury he is actively being denied. In fact, he has inspired resourcefulness, and a reimagining of what was and an application of what now is. Hardy, though he may be, he unwittingly inspires a resolve to push forward. Journalists most always push forward. 

A journalist's first responsibility is to the truth and then to the community which he serves. He cannot deliver from a place of uncertainty. Instead, he must be steadfast and always dedicated to his occupation. 

Honesty

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales (WHO). 

Though most infected persons will only experience mild to moderate symptoms, others will die. 

COVID 19 is a killer; it's shown as much. More than half a million people have passed, and countless others now fight for their lives. COVID 19 never hid what it truly is. It may not have been fully understood, but it never claimed to be something it was not. 

Its intention was always clear; to maim and disrupt. Its design, though far from noble, is unassailable and incontestable. So, too, must be a journalist's integrity, as he moves to unearth the truth. 

A journalist's character must be beyond reproach. He must remain unbiased in his analysis of facts, and fair in the dissemination of the same. Partiality is human, but so too is its management. When all else fails, a journalist's only claim is to the truth. Without it, he fails woefully in the execution of his duties as a gatekeeper. 

Fearlessness 

I read a passage a few months ago that has stuck with me. I don't remember it word for word, but it suggested that courage isn't the absence of fear, but an understanding that whatever's desired is far more valuable. 

Throughout this piece, I've alluded to themes that may scare most: conflict, illness, and dread, but I've also referred to the contrary; I've done this deliberately. One concept cannot exist outside the other. The opposition must have something to oppose. The fear COVID 19 has inspired is actively being countered by what I think most formidable - hope. 

Hope lends to the very premise of journalism. It's the promise of accountability, dignity, and honor. The fourth estate stands boldly in defiance of those who would prefer its silence. It does this in the hope of securing justice through democracy. Not the antithetical Westminster brand of governance, but true democracy which sees leaders accountable to those who have elected them. 

For what incites fear also encourages a resolve. 

Journalists must, now more than ever, be fearless, regardless of the pandemic - willing to maintain a standard of truth to combat conjecture, mistruths, and false information, all while being cautious and safe. 

Passion

COVID 19 has done much: damaged communities, devastated economies, and separated friends and families. If taken at face value, this all seems frightful and without remedy, but as mentioned earlier, one concept cannot exist outside another. Many have acknowledged this and are now more driven to ensure the survival of industry and state. Journalists are no exception. They now stand, with renewed purpose, against an outpouring of fake news from those with self-seeking agendas. Without passion and an appreciation for the cause, even more would be lost. Journalists recognize this and are acting accordingly.

Coronavirus has robbed us of many things, and its effects can never be fully mended. What journalists and other professionals must do is stand in humility and glean all that there is to learn. There are always lessons, even in the stillest of nights and the darkest of hours. We should listen and do with that information as we must.