What we’re reading this week
Take a look at some of the things we are currently reading in our newsroom that you should be aware of
Global Voices | The difficulties journalists face covering the Covid-19 pandemic in three African countries
Three senior journalists from Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire have provided insight into the challenges of reporting the news during the pandemic. These included working with face masks, sanitiser, and protective gear which created mistrust between them and the locals while conducting interviews. The journalists also reveal that they encountered the common issue of combatting fake news and misinformation around localised African traditions. Poor internet connection further proved to be a major stumbling block.
Mail & Guardian | Unfit for office: The perils of reporting on the president’s health
In light of the recent death of Tanzanian president John Magufuli due to Covid-19 complications, this piece reflects on the difficulties that African journalists encounter when covering the health, or lack thereof, of leaders on the continent. Why the mixed messaging and secrecy of a country’s first citizen? Rather than clarifying the situation, it only fuels the speculation.
CGTN Africa | Journalists in Libya say censorship is getting worse
A decade after the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, journalists in the country are reporting that they still face intimidation and threats to their lives as well as an increase in censorship. One radio journalist tells CGTN Africa that the situation is “catastrophic”, while another says they are concerned about the gains that have been reversed over the last decade.
The Conversation UK | Why some news stories get more clicks from social media than others
A study by Lancaster University has explored whether news aggregators and news producers can have a “beneficial symbiotic relationship”. It appears, according to the study, that readers were not enticed to click on articles with long extracts and that the short snippets or the catchy headline alone were all readers needed to see. It reflects what many of us how known for some time now — readers are increasingly fickle, our attention spans short and newsrooms need to stay ahead of the curve of these readership patterns.
