Press ReleasesIn a Bird Flu Hot Spot, Community Radio Reporters Learn How to Cover the Virus
(July 12, 2007) Indonesian radio journalists learned how to stay safe while reporting on avian flu, how to conduct interviews with empathy, and how to communicate the risks of the virus accurately—all at a recent workshop in Bandung, West Java. Organized by Internews Network, the workshop was the first training tailored for Indonesia’s community radio stations in how to cover avian flu. According to Dr. Djatnika Setiabudi, Deputy Head of Special Team for Avian Influenza at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, who was a speaker at the workshop, “It is really good that this workshop is being held now, because avian influenza cases in this province are increasing.” Along with Yogyakarta and Medan, Bandung is considered to be one of three “hot spots” for avian flu in Indonesia. Local media play a critical role in influencing the response of governments and public attitudes towards a possible pandemic. Accurate and informative reporting that focuses on solutions can help forestall confusion, mistrust, and even panic. The goal of the workshop was to stimulate community radio stations to play a constructive role in delivering news and information about bird flu to their listeners, through regular news programming, talk shows, phone-in programs, radio features, off-air programs, quizzes and even song requests. Fifteen journalists participated in the four-day workshop: twelve from community radio stations and three from commercial radio. After lectures, discussions, and critiques of radio and television programs on avian flu, participants went on a field trip, which included interviewing a villager who had lost 15 chickens to avian flu. Working in groups of five, participants then began to produce radio stories. They wrote scripts and edited and mixed the audio clips at Internews’ mobile recording studio. The best stories will be included in the Suara Negeriku (Voice of My Country) radio program, a bi-weekly national program that Internews produces and distributes to 210 radio stations across Indonesia. The stories will also air on the home stations of the participants. Firmansyah MS, a radio journalist and producer with many years of experience working with Internews in Timor Leste, Aceh and Yogyakarta, served as lead trainer. Rosmery Sihombing, a health journalist/editor from Media Group, publisher of Media Indonesia newspaper, served as co-trainer. Vynna Harisman from Prima Suara FM summed up, “(This training) gave me new knowledge, especially on reporting bird flu stories with the proper safety standards.” Internews plans additional workshops on covering avian flu in Yogyakarta and Medan, North Sumatra this month. These workshops are made possible by a grant to Internews from the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Indonesia. This project builds on Internews’ journalism training program, begun last year with a grant from UNICEF, to improve the technical skills needed to report on this complex and rapidly evolving story. Together with UNICEF and with the support of the Japan Foundation, Internews will soon publish a training manual for media workshops on avian flu. |
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