Australia's ABC International Development department has produced a range of useful tips for looking after yourself when covering Corona Virus stories.
ABC International Development works with media organisations in the Asia Pacific region to support them in this work. As part of that support the organisation has shared the Australia Broadcasting Corporation's internal guidelines forbest practice reporting to ensure the health and safety of journalists.
What should I do if I am assigned to cover a COVID-19 story?
• You and your manager should conduct a Risk Assessment (example attached).
• Speak with your manager about the personal precautions listed below.
• If you have a pre-existing respiratory condition, or any other condition that may impact your immune system, you should seek medical advice before covering stories or visiting places that carry an elevated risk of contact with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
What preventive measures should I be taking if I’m covering a COVID-19 story?
• Avoid contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 when that person is infectious.
• Keep 1.5 metres away from others wherever possible.
• Avoid physical contact, including handshakes.
• Do NOT enter the home of a person who may be infected.
• Do not touch objects that may have been in contact with a person who may be infected.
• If you are in an enclosed space, check that you have at least 4 square metres per person.
• Practice good hand hygiene: wash or sanitise hands after each story and before and after using a vehicle.
• Limit shared use of vehicles and avoid taxis if possible.
• Where possible limit to 2 people per vehicle. Passengers should sit in the rear seat if there is more than one person in a car. Windows should be down or air-conditioning on fresh intake mode (not recirculating).
• Limit contact with fuel pumps by using gloves or paper towel to hold the pump and wash/sanitise hands after refuelling.
• Regularly clean high-contact surfaces, e.g. in vehicle – door and drawer handles, steering wheels, gear sticks, indicators, mirrors, seat-belt clasps and sockets and dashboard controls; production equipment – cameras, all-weather camera covers, tripods, microphones, mic stands, boom poles, lights and lighting stands and carry bags etc.
How should I set up for an interview?
• Talk to your manager about whether the interview can be conducted by phone/Skype.
• If not, before conducting an interview in-person, ask interviewees:
– Their recent travel history and if they complied with the government’s requirements for post-travel isolation periods
– if they have any reason to believe they have COVID-19
– If they have any flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath) or
– If they have been exposed to the virus via close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and date of exposure
• No vox pops. Instead use a boom microphone or a microphone set-up on a stand to increase social distance.
• Film the interview at a distance (1.5 metres).
• Do not share microphones, ear-pieces, mobile or desk phones with others.
• Eliminate interviewees holding or contacting the microphone.
• Where a lapel microphone is required, verbally instruct the interviewee on how to correctly attach and position the lapel microphone themselves (i.e. to prevent close contact).
• Clean the microphone after each use: use a 60%+ alcohol or 0.1% bleach solution for hard surfaces and disinfectant spray with 60%+ alcohol for porous surfaces (e.g. microphone socks).
• Do not allow interviewees to touch any other production equipment.
• Clean all equipment (microphones, cameras, lighting and lighting stands, audio tape recorders) before and after use.
Reporters should also take personal precautions as advised by their government and the World Health Organisation.
Full sets of the ABC's advice briefing papers are available here.
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