PR86075

LONDON, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Results launched today by International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and

Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University

Facing everything from a barrage of disinformation to heightened security risks

and a mental health crisis, journalists around the world are contending with

myriad daunting challenges as they report on a deadly pandemic, according to

the first results from a global survey on journalism and the COVID-19 crisis.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the Tow Center for Digital

Journalism at Columbia University launched the Journalism and the Pandemic

Project in April 2020 to study the impacts on the field worldwide. Based on

survey responses from more than 1,400 English-speaking journalists in 125

countries, the first report from the project surfaces alarming obstacles and

threats confronting journalism during the first stage of the pandemic.

Among the most troubling findings is the identification of politicians and

elected officials as top sources of disinformation by nearly half of our

respondents (46%), highlighting a serious lack of trust in governments. At the

same time, nearly one-third said they were relying more heavily on government

sources and official statements to report on the pandemic.

In a related key finding, Facebook was identified as the most prolific spreader

of disinformation by respondents (66%). Yet 32% said they were more reliant on

social media platforms to connect with audiences.

Other red flag-raising findings for journalists covering the ongoing crisis:

70% of our respondents rated the psychological and emotional impacts of dealing

with the COVID-19 crisis as the most difficult aspect of their work during the period.

30% said that their news organizations had not supplied field reporters with a

single piece of protective equipment during the first wave of the pandemic.

17% with knowledge of their organizations' financial losses reported that

revenue was down over 75% since the pandemic began; 43% indicated that revenues

were down by over half.

81% said they encounter disinformation at least weekly, with more than

one-quarter (28%) identifying false information many times a day.

20% said their experience of online harassment was "much worse" during the pandemic.

48% said their sources had expressed fear of retaliation for speaking to

journalists during the pandemic.

But the picture is not all bleak. Despite the challenges, journalists indicated

that they have some reasons for optimism:

43% said they felt audience trust in their journalism, or that of their news

organization, had increased during the first wave of the pandemic.

61% reported that they felt an increased commitment to journalism as a result

of the pandemic.

The research was conducted by ICFJ's Global Director of Research, Dr. Julie

Posetti; Leonard Tow Professor of Journalism and the Director of the Tow Center

for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, Emily Bell; and Dr. Pete

Brown, research director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism.

The report is the first of a data-driven research series (which will also draw

on surveys conducted in six other languages) that will address the challenges

of reporting on COVID-19 and offer guideposts for reimagining a post-pandemic

future for journalism.

The Journalism and the Pandemic Project is supported by global philanthropic

organization Luminate, and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is a

partner organization.

Read the full report here [https://www.icfj.org/our-work/journalism-and-pandemic-survey ].

Source: International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and Tow Center for Digital

Journalism at Columbia University