Preparing readers for something that could have tragic consequences without frightening them is extremely complicated
Coverage of public health problems such as the possible swine flu pandemic that dominated the news around the world this week is one of the biggest challenges for the role of journalism.
Walking the fine line between conveniently preparing the public for something that could have tragic consequences without frightening them unnecessarily is an extremely complicated task.
Even more so when it deals with a new virus, one not well known, with an undefined degree of lethality, which leaves even experienced epidemiologists unsure about now to treat it.
I asked two of the most hardened and capable journalists in Brazil who specialize in science to help me evaluate how Folha has done since the first information about contamination came out of Mexico.
Marcelo Leite, who was science editor for this newspaper three times (most recently between 2000 and 2004), besides being ombudsman (from 1994 to 1997), and Maurcio Tuffani (science editor between 1997 and 1999) agree with me that in general readers are well served by the newspaper regarding this item.
The praiseworthy effort to be didactic, counseling caution to not provoke unjustified hysteria, and the wide range of information were positive points recognized by all.
Marcelo Leite noted that at the beginning the newspaper seemed a little lost with the death count attributed to the new flu: many of the deaths registered of patients with flu symptoms could be the result of an old virus.
But this confusion had its origin in official information by the Mexican government, which also showed uncertainty in dealing with the facts. Every year, about 10,000 people die from seasonal flu in Mexico. How do you say for certain that those in 2009 were victims of the new illness?
What certainly was lacking was having our own journalist in Mexico to describe life in the epicenter of the drama. It’s obvious that he would not be capable of profound reflection such as what results from a great work of fiction about an epidemic, like the Camus novel or Von Trier film recommended today, but any good story about real people affected directly would help increase empathy and understanding by readers.
I also believe that there could be more emphasis on local coverage: how people are reacting to news they see coming from abroad, how those who must travel overseas see this perspective, or citizens preparing for a possible outbreak of the epidemic in their region. Among the media, the newspaper has behaved properly: it does not stick its head in the sand nor does it run around crying that the sky is falling.
Try to verify the file first
I received 77 messages from 55 readers about the report in which Folha recognized mistakes for publishing the alleged police file on Dilma Rousseff, chief of staff to President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, from the military dictatorship. Nobody was satisfied with the explanations. Nor was I.
I asked questions to the newsroom to try to clarify the case. The responses did not illuminate anything.
The original story came out on the front page; the correction also should have come out on the newspaper’s front page.
Folha’s Stylebook recommends that the newspaper identify the source who passes along incorrect information, which it did not do in this case.
Alerted by a reader on the day the original story came out that the fraudulent file was circulating on the Internet, the ombudsman asked the newsroom to check it out and did not get a response until April 21.
On Friday, the newsroom told me that no journalist involved in the production and editing of the original report knew about the fake file on the Internet, which shows incredible disinformation by specialized journalists.
Worse, the newsroom said that it had completed an investigation into this episode and did not believe it was necessary to review its procedures for verifying information.
In the case of Memogate, which I cited last Sunday, the US broadcasting network CBS formed an independent commission to investigate what happened. Its report was released publicly and it resulted in a broad revision of internal procedures in the newsroom, the dismissal of a producer and apology by the network to its audience. I suggest that Folha do something similar.
To read
“The Plague,” by Albert Camus, translated by Valerie Rumjanek, Record Publishing, 1997 (starting at 32.37 reals, or US $15.20)
“History and its Epidemics,” by Stefan Cunha Ujvari, Senac Publishing, 2003 (starting at 59.29 reals)
To see
“Epidemic,” by Lars Von Trier, 1987 (imported, starting at $27 plus tax)
What Folha did right…
Dilma’s illness
Folha was the first to report about Rousseff’s illness and treated the matter well
… and where it did badly
“Bodyguards”
The newspaper needs to look into whether Supreme Court Justice Joaquim Barbosa refers to the so-called “Mato Grosso bodyguards” in a conversation with the chief justice
State championships
Minimal coverage in the state soccer championship finals was a disservice to readers outside So Paulo
Entrance exams
The newsroom’s response to readers who complained about discrimination against the Walter Belian School in a story about college entrance exams was unconvincing
Worth remembering
Cases that need to be looked at again
What happened at the meeting of the So Paulo Chamber of Industries on April 13, when according to the newspaper on April 11, tycoon Paulo Skaf clarified suspicions about him by the governing Workers Party (PT)?
– Translation by John Wright
