Information Saves Lives: COVID-19 Response Fund

As evidenced from the media frenzy around the COVID19 pandemic and subsequent health emergencies, journalists carry a great responsibility when covering health topics that have the potential to improve and save human lives. But a journalist’s job is becoming increasingly more difficult—how can journalists themselves navigate rumors and fake news about vaccines and other evidence-based health interventions in a digital age, when information spreads rapidly and impacts the decisions people make about their lives? 

This is the question at the top of our minds. If journalists are unable to tell the difference between fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and factual or reliable news, it’s unlikely their audiences will be able to.  

Just this month, we’ve published two new resources for journalists: 

• A checklist for debunking vaccine myths and rumors, and 
• A guide on reporting on life course immunization. 

Since our last update, we’vealso hosted a number of events for journalists: 

• “When Facts are Not Enough!” A special session with Heidi Larson, author of How Vaccine Rumors Start. 
• “One Health: An Approach that Builds Community Resilience against Emergencies and Disasters,” a live virtual event with various stakeholders – youth, climate activists, journalists, experts in Disaster Risk Reduction, health and civil society organizations. 
• Vaccines for Healthy Living: Reporting on the Role of Immunization in Reducing Risk of Disease in Moldova, in Romanian language with translations into English and Russian. 
• Unlocking the potential of science in the Global South: A new approach to vaccine equity, showcasing the ongoing research successes and challenges for scientists making inroads into vaccine research and development today. 

We remain committed to building health reporting capacity worldwide, with an eye for marginalized and vulnerable communities who are disproportionately affected by issues involving the intersection of health and climate emergencies. 

Your generous support is enabling us in this important work. If you have any questions or would like to know more about our COVID response work, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

The government’s recent lifting of the public health emergency brought COVID19 back to news headlines, but now is not the time to lose momentum. The virus continues to affect the lives of millions, even as news coverage and data sources are declining. Affordable testing is becoming less and less accessible, and only 17 percent of all Americans sought out the most recent bivalent booster as of May 10, says the CDC. 

As the world of public health evolves and the instances of emergencies related to health, climate, and their intersection will only continue to increase in frequency, Internews and Internews’ Health Journalism Network remain committed to building health reporting capacity and skills in marginalized and vulnerable communities globally. 

Since our last report, we’ve: 

• Announced our Mercury Phoenix Trust HIV/AIDS Reporting Fellows: ten mid-career/senior level health and science reporters who will receive fellowships (of $1,000 USD each) to look at new, unique or underreported angles of HIV/AIDS with a particular focus on innovative science research that leads to policy and action. 
• Published more resources for journalists, including a guide to reporting on the human papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine to prevent Cervical Cancer. 
• Hosted a World Malaria Day event on Twitter Spaces, moderated by HJN member and Nigerian radio journalist, Babatunde Okunlola.
• Facilitated a virtual media dialogue, “Journalism in an Era of Epidemics: Reporting on Life Course Vaccinations” across the Balkan region. 
• Hosted “A shot of truth: an undertold story of hope against cervical cancer” webinar at the Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) second annual conference in Bangkok, helping journalists explore in-depth HPV vaccination and cervical cancer reporting and identifying gaps in public dialogue. 

“Without information, there can be no awareness about vaccination, let alone across the lifespan. Information needs to be two-way and rooted in understanding and respect. The media not only conveys messages from medical personnel to the public, but it also uplifts the voices of marginalized groups to reach doctors.” 

- Dr. Dragoslav Popovic, immunization expert and World Health Organization Adviser 

We sincerely thank you for your donations, on behalf of our organization and the journalists serving their communities around the world. It wouldn’t be possible without you.