COVID-19 Reporting in Kenya: A Safety Guideline for Journalists.

About Publication

Covid-19 is an infectious illness caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The first case of the novel virus was reported in humans in Wuhan, China, in December 20191. Towards the end of January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency. This was later followed up by initial advice to countries on how to detect, test, and manage potential cases.
From the onset, global and local media were instrumental in providing information to people on this new disease, its spread, and its effects on society. However, media institutions and journalists face new challenges – specifically, unique health-and-safety challenges – as they attempt to gather, process, and relay information on this disease, often travelling to affected areas, and listening to accounts of those affected and infected, thereby placing their own safety in jeopardy.