This is the second edition of our special series on intrepid media professionals on the ground, at the frontline of covering the COVID-19 crisis. These journalists are putting their lives at risk to bring updates on Government efforts and human suffering, uncovering stories from affected areas, hospitals and even crematoriums, while mitigating the threat of fake news. Here, we profile four exceptional journalists and bring you their stories.
‘THE MAIN CHALLENGE WAS TO KEEP MYSELF SAFE WHILE REPORTING AS MY PARENTS ARE SENIOR CITIZENS’
Diwakar Sharma, Senior Correspondent - Crime, Mid-day, who was assigned the duty to cover the pandemic, has been writing about the on-ground situation of labourers and migrant workers, the state of hospitals, virus testing procedures and conditions of health workers in Vasai-Virar area of Mumbai.
Q] What have you been specifically covering for Mid-day over the last few weeks?
On the announcement of lockdown, on March 24, most of the labourers working in Mumbai and nearby areas started walking to their home-towns as all transport facilities were suspended. People were walking to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. I interviewed a few people and reported about their plight. Vasai-Virar area had become a big hotspot for the COVID-19 virus and I was constantly monitoring the situation at hospitals, the infrastructure, the testing process and the workload and conditions of healthcare staff there.
Q] As part of covering all this, what has been the most challenging experience for you?
It was not easy to visit hospitals and talk to doctors in confidence, as they were already over-burdened trying to deal with this global health crisis. I had to take many doctors and other frontline health workers into confidence to know what is happening and how they are dealing with the crisis, what equipment and protective gear they are using to safeguard themselves. The main challenge was to keep myself safe while reporting, as my parents are senior citizens and I have to ensure that all of us are safe from the virus.
Q] Covering the pandemic from ground zero, is there any incident or experience that moved you completely?
I was really astonished to know that the doctors who are collecting the samples and who are in the frontline, did not have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits. Secondly, hospitals in the area had no ambulance as part of their infrastructure. I spoke with the Collector and other senior Government officials regarding this.
Q] What is the kind of support that you got from your company?
My colleagues and senior staff have been very supportive. We work as a team and help each other out for our stories.
YOUR MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE DAY…
One should stay safe and encourage social distancing. The elderly are the most vulnerable lot for this disease and we must ensure that we safeguard them. This can happen only with social distancing. This is the only thing we can do to fight the COVID-19 virus.
‘THE WIFE OF THE FIRST COVID-19 VICTIM IN KERALA WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO SEE HIS BODY ON VIDEO CALL’
For 38-year-old Vinod Gopi, Senior Reporter, Malayala Manorama, who has been covering the COVID-19 pandemic for the newspaper in Kochi district since March 2020, each day brings extra worry, as he has an eight months pregnant wife, Soumya, at home.
Gopi says Soumya not only gives him excellent haircuts, but also manages all household chores with a baby bump, as he is mostly out on the field. His parents were supposed to come over to support them, but were held back due to travel restrictions. Gopi is very excited about the baby, and has to be extremely careful while going out to coronavirus-affected areas, although his wife never stops him.
Q] What have you been covering specifically during the COVID-19 crisis and since when?
Until the COVID-19 outbreak, the only experience I’ve had with regard to covering a major health issue was when I reported on the Nipah virus infection from Kochi last year. Since there were positive coronavirus cases in Kochi starting early March, it has become my full-time assignment. I focus on patient- related news spanning hospitals, the care given to patients, their recovery and the COVID-19 infrastructure in the hospitals, especially the testing facility and Government intervention.
Q] Covering the pandemic from ground zero, what has been the biggest challenge you faced?
Journalists across the globe are facing a situation like this for the first time. It was often impractical to report directly from the scene and the biggest challenge was to make sure the reports were comprehensive and factually correct. I depend on various sources for information and yet fact-checking becomes a difficult task. Most of the health officials are unavailable to talk to the media due to their busy schedule. We have to wait till evening for any official confirmation, since unconfirmed news reports may create panic among people. We cannot talk to COVID-19 positive patients directly and most of our conversations happen over the phone and via WhatsApp. Sometimes, this leads to lack of emotional connect, which is key in writing human interest stories.
Q] What moved you the most - tell us about the experience?
I had the opportunity to talk to COVID-19 patients, health workers and ordinary people. Local health workers have more chances of getting exposed to the virus, since they contact patients directly. However, they never get the recognition they deserve. I once spoke to a junior health inspector who tested positive. He was working away from home and did not disclose his condition to his wife and children. Before getting discharged, he called up his wife and told her that he had tested positive but had recovered. Another incident was about a family of four, all of whom tested positive. The husband and wife were treated in the hospital isolation ward at the same time. Unfortunately, the husband succumbed to the virus, which was the first COVID-19 death in Kerala. His wife could only see his body through video call. It was really sad.
Q] What is the kind of support that you get from your company?
Malayala Manorama gave us the option to work from home even before the lockdown began. Most of our reporters are now working from home, since our company always gives priority to our health and safety. If anybody has symptoms, the company will ensure proper treatment. Reporters are always sharing news ideas through conference calls and suggestions given by our photographers, who travel across the region, have been very helpful in our news reporting.
Health workers and Panchayat officials welcome a child and her grandparents after 28 days quarantine. (Photo: Rijo Joseph)
YOUR MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE DAY…
COVID-19 reporting is a big opportunity and at the same time a huge challenge. There are reports about journalists getting exposed to the virus. We have to be very careful about ground reporting and even more vigilant against fake news. This too shall pass.
‘THE SIGHT OF STARVING PEOPLE WAITING IN LONG QUEUES FOR FOOD IS ONE THAT I CANNOT FORGET’
For 38-year-old Vinod Gopi, Senior Reporter, Malayala Manorama, who has been covering the COVID-19 pandemic for the newspaper in Kochi district since March 2020, each day brings extra worry, as he has an eight months pregnant wife, Soumya, at home.
Gopi says Soumya not only gives him excellent haircuts, but also manages all household chores with a baby bump, as he is mostly out on the field. His parents were supposed to come over to support them, but were held back due to travel restrictions. Gopi is very excited about the baby, and has to be extremely careful while going out to coronavirus-affected areas, although his wife never stops him.
Q] What have you been covering specifically during the COVID-19 crisis and since when?
I started working on the COVID-19 coverage in March, since the second phase of the pandemic in Kerala. My focus areas are hospitals and their staff, health workers, the police force and the various situations they face on a day-to-day basis. These people also monitor whether people are adhering to the new rules, and bring to book the reluctant ones. The social commitment shown by them is amazing. This is a strange situation with lonely streets and temples, churches and mosques without community participation. As a photo journalist, I have to record all this.
Q] Covering the pandemic from ground zero, what has been the biggest challenge you faced?
Being a photographer, maintaining social distancing is one of the major challenges. I also feel helpless as I am unable to even console fellow humans in difficulty. Getting food while we are out at work, meeting different people who are in crisis, vacant roads and dealing with stray dogs chasing us at night while we ride out, are a few of our challenges.
Q] What moved you the most - tell us about the experience?
The plight of daily wage-earners whose livelihood is affected due to this pandemic is the one that moves me the most. Even though the State has many plans to mitigate their sufferings, the sight of starving people waiting in long queues for food and other essentials is one that I cannot forget.
Q] What is the kind of support that you get from your company?
The support that we have been receiving from Malayala Manorama is commendable. From the very beginning, the authorities have strictly asked us to give preference to our safety while taking photos. The company has provided work from home facility to everyone who can manage their daily activities remotely. Precautionary measures like masks, hand sanitizers, etc., have been provided to us in abundance. The company has also made sure that we do not have salary cuts or lay-offs on account of this situation.
Little girl wearing mask while going out with her parents. (Photo: Rijo Joseph)
YOUR MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE DAY…
COVID-19 is a new virus and we are still learning about it. We need to think about ways to help the many people around us who are suffering for their basic needs. We are all inter-connected and need to adhere to the instructions of the authorities and help the needy, in order to better protect ourselves and also those around us. Together we can and will break the chain.
‘WE’VE GOT A RARE OPPORTUNITY; WE MIGHT NEVER GET TO REPORT LIKE THIS IN OUR ENTIRE CAREER’
“My six-year-old son reminds me to wear a mask and take the sanitizer along when I step out on duty,” says Pradeep Joseph, Senior Chief Reporter, Mathrubhumi News Channel, Kerala. Out on the streets, hospitals and railway stations covering the fallout of the pandemic in Kochi, Joseph says his family’s support is his energy during these times.
Q] What have you been covering specifically on the field and since when?
In the beginning, Cochin International airport (COK) was the main point of thermal scanning, until flight services were cancelled. Press conferences by the district administration were held here. The first COVID-19 care centre in Kerala was set up in Kochi at the Government Medical College, Kalamasserry. Suspected patients coming from abroad were admitted there, including tourists. When lockdown was declared in the State, a day before national lockdown declaration by the Prime Minister, I covered violation of lockdown incidents, free food supply, pathetic condition of people during lockdown days, stories related to migrant workers in Kerala, etc. It was a challenging time not only for me, but all reporters, cameramen, drivers who were in the field.
During this time, as per the Indian Railway’s decision, many trains turned into isolation wards. At Kochi railway yard too, many trains were designed as isolation wards. Due to the lockdown, shops selling electrical and plumbing goods were closed. But with special permission from police, Railway officials managed to get these shops open, arranged workers and collected electrical and plumbing requisites in order to set up isolation wards. We could see the dedication of people involved there.
Q] What has been your most challenging experience so far?
While reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, each and every minute is challenging because we don’t know who is an affected person. It may be a policeman, health worker or any other person who is interacting with us.
Q] As part of covering this pandemic, can you share any particular experience or incident that moved you the most?
A scene that stirred me deep inside was ambulances plying to and from the Government Medical College, Kalamasserry. My thoughts would go out to the diseased travelling in those vehicles and especially the health workers and drivers of the ambulance who were on duty for 16-18 hours a day.
Q] Do you or your family worry about your own safety?
There is naturally tension and family members worry. But their support has been my energy. They keep reminding me about washing hands at regular intervals to break the chain. Even my six-year-old son reminds me about using a mask and sanitizer. My family members are also anxious to know about my assignments and developments of each day - the number of people affected, isolated, break the chain methods, etc.
Q] What kind of support are you receiving from the company on reporting the COVID-19 pandemic?
During this tough time, support from our company has been amazing. The company reminded us about the strict use of masks it provided, using sanitizer, instructions on stay, transportation, etc. The company’s support gave us confidence to stay active and safe in the field.
YOUR MESSAGE AT THE END OF THE DAY…
The police force, the media and health workers are putting their lives and health at risk and they are working hard to safeguard our people from the spread of this disease. While they are doing their duty with utmost dedication during the lockdown days, many people are wandering around without any reason, negating the dedication and commitment of many to wipe out the pandemic. They deserve to be punished by law. We media professionals have got the rare opportunity to report on the situation while the entire world remains in lockdown mode. We might never get to report like this in our entire career.
The plight of migrant workers, patients, people who run their lives by doing small jobs daily, is very painful and unexpected. Human thought will change once this crisis is over. Let the entire experience lead to change for the good and may the world be strong, safe and may it remain unshaken in the face of any such outbreak in future.
