ABOUT THE HUB

With the sudden emergence of COVID-19, coverage of this new disease became a priority for newsrooms, often leaving journalists with no or limited health reporting experience struggling to provide accurate and reliable information on this complex issue to their audiences.

In this context, the Thomson Reuters Foundation launched its Coronavirus Crisis Reporting Hub. The global initiative was first launched in April 2020 in English-speaking African nations before scaling around the world.

To date, we have successfully delivered the following Coronavirus Crisis Reporting Hubs:

• Sub-Saharan Africa Hub in partnership with the World Economic Forum
• Eastern Partnership Hub in partnership with BBC Media Action
• Two Russian-language Hubs in partnership with Fritt Ord Foundation
• International Fund for Agricultural Development Alumni Hub in partnership with IFAD
• Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA and LATAM Hubs in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy

CURRICULUM

Our 8-week training, delivered to cohorts of no more than 15 participants, equips journalists with the core skills and information they need to report on the pandemic and its impact on economies, health care systems and communities. It also gives cohorts access to key experts, as well as reporters who have been covering the crisis in other countries.

The free programme includes live video masterclasses on reporting and production techniques, as well as the economic and social impact of the pandemic, the science behind it, the race to find a vaccine, countering misinformation, the safety of journalists online and offline, and ethical standards and legal dangers. It also includes briefings from journalists at the frontline of the crisis, and discussion of potential story ideas and how to approach them in the local context. Finally, a skills lab offers the latest digital and multimedia tools and techniques to enhance the production of stories.

Our Coronavirus Reporting Hub also focusses on the wellbeing of participants by fostering peer-to-peer support, as well as upskilling journalists with digital and multimedia learning to help them future-proof their careers.

PARTNERS

WHY US?

We are uniquely placed to lead this effort. We have extensive expertise in delivering global media development interventions. We have an established network of media professionals, policy experts and journalist alumni. Our experience of working alongside global partners gives us unparalleled reach and places us at the centre of international expertise.

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