Mass Communication & Media Studies

Sem : 4
Journalism in the
time of Covid 19

Prepared by : Ravina Parmar

Department of English, M.K.

Bhavnagar University.
 --: Table of content:---
● Research Objective
● Journalism : Definition
● Journalism and impact of Covid
19
● The Fear of Salaries and jobs in
the time of Covid 19
● What should be done, what
shouldn't ?
● Research Project :- The
Journalism and the Pandemic :
some of the findings
● Conclusion :
 --: Research Objective :--
● This presentation aims to find out which
types difficulties journalist have faced in
the Time of Covid 19.

● What is theImpact of Covid 19 on

Journalism ?

● How the authorities try to hide facts and

throttle the media and their job gets in
risk.

● What should be done or what should not

be done ? (In Journalism)
 Journalism
● The word journalism is taken from the French word
‘journal’ which in turn comes from the Latin diurnal or
daily.

The word was applied to the reportage of current events in

printed form, specifically newspapers.

The advent of radio, television, and the Internet in the 20th

century the use of the term broadened to include all printed
and electronic communication dealing with current affairs.
 --: Journalism :--
" the activity or job of collecting,
writing, and editing news
stories for newspapers,
magazines, television, or radio"
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)
-: : Journalism and impact of Covid 19 :--
● Many local newspapers have been severely affected
by losses in advertising revenues from COVID-19;
journalists have been laid off, and some
publications have folded. ( Tiffany Hsu and Marc Tracy)

● Many newspapers with paywalls lowered them for

some or all of their COVID-19 coverage.

● journalists have been threatened or arrested for

their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

● Sometimes , newsrooms were focusing on breaking

COVID-19 news instead of in-depth coverage.
The fear of salaries and jobs in Covid 19 :--
● New Delhi: India’s dynamic news media industry :
slashing the number of pages and shutting printing to
lay-offs, salary cuts and leave without pay for
employees.
● The Quint :- The Quint sent 45 employees, including
reporters, production and technical staff, on furlough
indefinite leave without pay.
● The Times Group announced salary cuts
● The news channel NDTV too announced salary cuts
between 10 and 40 per cent from April 1 for three
months.
● Outlook magazine : with its editor-in-chief Ruben
Banerjee announcing on 30 March a temporary
suspension of the magazine with immediate effect.
( Amrita Nayak)
 What should be done ? What should not be Done ?

● Government preparedness
● Are there enough testing kits,
protective outfits, masks, ● When the दया जलाओ and थाली बजाओ
ventilators, and hospital beds? going on many news channels also
● Hospital readiness (how supporting then. Maybe because of
prepared our health care the pressure of the power.
workers, hospitals, and ● Journalism should be thoughtful,
society) critical and Scientific.
● Journalists don't support such
● The supply of equipment, such
foolish ideas.
as masks
● Are officials telling the truth?
● Commercial exploitation
 The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The
Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the
press would remain forever free to censure the government. The
press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of
government and inform the public. Only a free and unrestrained
press can effectively expose deception in government. ( Hugo L.
Black)

Many journalists now are no more than channelers and echoers

of what George Orwell called the 'official truth'. They simply
cipher and transmit lies. It really grieves me that so many of my
fellow journalists can be so manipulated that they become really
what the French describe as 'functionaires', functionaries, not
journalists. ( John Pliger)
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
Project :- The Journalism and the Pandemic

● Politicians and elected officials were identified by 46% of respondents

as a top source of disinformation.

● 81% said they encounter disinformation at least weekly, with more than
one-quarter identifying false information many times a day.

● Facebook was identified as the most prolific spreader of disinformation.

● Nearly half said their sources had expressed fear of retaliation for
speaking to journalists during the pandemic.

● 30% said that their news organizations had not supplied field reporters
with a single piece of protective equipment during the first wave of the
pandemic.
● 70% identified the mental health impacts of covering COVID-19 as the
most difficult challenge.

Survey done by Julie Possetti, Emily Bell

 Conclusion :--
● Journalists today are frontline warriors and deserve support in doing
their jobs. Instead, sudden pay cuts and sackings are destroying the
morale of media persons today.”
● 35 journalists are infected in southern Chennai city.
● A sports photographer in the eastern city of Kolkata has died in what
doctors believe was a suspected case of Covid-19.
● There are reports of 19 employees of the influential Punjab Kesari
media group in the city of Jalandhar in Punjab state testing positive. (
Soutik Biswas )
● What is the role of government in this endemic time ? ( Government
should not oppressed media)
● Journalism should be away from the misinformation.
● Now we have to think about the safety of the journalist (Those who
are covering reality of the Covid 19 times.)
Citation :---
Barsamian, David. “Interview with John Pliger.” Progressive.org, 16 July 2007,
progressive.org/magazine/interview-john-pliger/.

Biswas, Soutik. “Coronavirus: How Covid-19 Is Ravaging India's Newsrooms.” BBC News, BBC, 4 May 2020,
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52464029.

Black, Hugo. New York Times Co. v. United States. Supreme Court of the United States, 1971.

Hsu, Tiffany, and Marc Tracy. "Local News Outlets Dealt a Crippling Blow by This Biggest of Stories". The New York Times, 23,
March,2020.

“Journalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/journalism.

Accessed 28 Apr. 2021.

Nayak, Amrita. “Job Losses, Pay Cuts, Editions Shut - Coronavirus Triggers New Crisis for Indian Media.” ThePrint, 24 Apr.
2020, theprint.in/india/job-losses-pay-cuts-editions-shut-coronavirus-triggers-new-crisis-for-indian-media/407195/.

Possetti, Julie, and Emily Bell. “Journalism and the Pandemic Survey.” International Center for Journalists,
www.icfj.org/our-work/journalism-and-pandemic-survey.
 Thank you !
ravinaparmar827@gmail.com