Media Orientation: Avian Influenza

This initiative reflects a recognition of the key role that well-informed journalists can play in communicating with the public about avian influenza. To that end, AED organised media training/media orientation sessions with local journalists (reporters, editors, and publishers) in each of the 3 locales in order to disseminate basic facts, information, and evidence-based data about the H5N1 virus. In an effort to help journalists get prepared for infusing their potential avian influenza stories with relevant content, the sessions also featured information specific to the local context, and offered journalists the chance to meet with local poultry farmers. Participating journalists also had an opportunity to interact with technical experts and to gather materials and/or conduct interviews for news reports on avian influenza.

For example, in the November 2007 Kano sessions, workshop activities included participatory presentations by an animal health expert and a human health expert (the latter of whom is a local physician), as well as a media trainer. There were numerous exercises (group and individual) to encourage the journalists to think - and talk to each other - about avian influenza in different ways and not simply as a health issue that affects poultry and market workers. One aspect of this process that was found to be helpful was the involvement in discussions of personnel such as an animal health expert who is affiliated with Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources; AED indicates that "[h]is input was useful as it provided the 'official' perspective which was very much appreciated by the journalists." During the Kano sessions, the journalists [from radio (3), television (2), and print (7)] were invited to raise questions about issues of greatest interest to them (which, in this case, included the difference between a cure and a vaccine, among other topics). In an effort to help journalists realise how pivotal they are in getting information out regarding avian influenza (and, thus, how important it is for them to get their facts right and keep their stories focused), AED invited the group to critique a former participant's news report.

In order to help journalists "personalise" the issue of avian influenza, the second day of the Kano session was devoted to site visits to a poultry farm that was thriving, despite having been devastated by avian influenza the previous year. Having experts present was found to be a helpful strategy in enabling the journalists to discuss what was observed, as well as to brainstorm about how to provide backyard farmers with information, and to foster collaboration among stakeholders.

At the culmination of the session, 4 groups (2 consisting of those working in the print medium, 1 involving TV journalists, and 1 including radio personnel) each devised a comprehensive storyline including source ideas, type of story, and story focus. Key themes to emerge were the need to localise a story and to make it relevant to the particular audience; accuracy and attribution were also cited as significant in reporting about avian influenza.

Health, Natural Resource Management, Risk Management.

Click here to access a publication that emerged from this project, titled "Avian Influenza: Media Orientation Training Notes", May 2007 [PDF]. Among the lessons learned are: have presentations (printed, and PowerPoint) copied (for participants) and/or on the computer; create a handout for media outlining biosecurity protocol; and continue to involve government officials so there can be ongoing dialogue between them and the journalists.