The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria, has called on media proprietors (both private and government) to provide journalists covering the COVID-19 health crisis in Nigeria with necessary protective gadgets and medications where required. Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, said journalists are among professionals who are always on duty during crisis situations as we currently have and their safety should, therefore, be accorded very high priority.
“From provision with protective wears and adequate supply of basics such as hand sanitizers, nothing can be too much to do for journalists on the field at this moment”, Mr Arogundade said in a statement today. According to him, journalists covering COVID-19 also deserve to be placed on a special insurance package.
The IPC Director also advised journalists to avail themselves of all the health tips on avoiding COVID-19 infection especially as outlined by global health bodies and national health institutions. “Journalists should apply necessary caution so as not to expose themselves to avoidable health risk in the understandable urge to cover breaking stories on the pandemic”, he stressed.
Mr Arogundade also charged journalists and other media professionals to exercise professional restraint and ensure that all supposed breaking stories on COVID-19 are fact-checked to mitigate the spread of false or misleading information.
