On this April 22, 2020 program, interviewees discussed the reporting on the Zika virus and COVID-19. They also discussed the relationship between the press and public health officials when reporting on pandemics and epidemics. Host: Isabella Paxton. Guests: Donald G. McNeil Jr., Lynelle Phillips. Producers: Brendan Hall, Katharine Finnerty, Regan Mertz, Hannah France, Margo Wagner, Tom Kavanaugh, Jacob Faber, Caitlin King

McMeil, Donald G., Jr

Paxton, Isabella

Phillips, Lynelle

English

University of Missouri: MOspace

Global Journalist: Covering Two Deadly Viruses  Abstract: On this April 22, 2020 program, interviewees discussed the reporting on the Zika virus and COVID-19. They also discussed the relationship between the press and public health officials when reporting on pandemics and epidemics.    Host: Isabella Paxton   Guests:  • Donald G. McNeil Jr. • Lynelle Phillips  Producers: Brendan Hall, Katharine Finnerty, Regan Mertz, Hannah France, Margo Wagner, Tom Kavanaugh, Jacob Faber, Caitlin King  Audio Engineer: Trevor Hook  Mentioned: Zika, New York Times, Brazil, University of Missouri, Donald McNeil Jr., COVID-19, Coronavirus  Isabella Paxton 0:06   Welcome to Global Journalist, this is a program for journalists, by journalists, and about journalists. I’m Isabella Paxton reporting in my apartment from self-quarantine.  Isabella Paxton 0:14   When COVID-19 shut down the Missouri School of Journalism, I unexpectedly found myself dealing with some of the challenges that our sources speak about. In this three-part series, we will hear from reporters about their experiences during viral outbreak reporting. In this episode, we focus on the New York Times reporter who was one of the first to cover the 2016 Zika virus epidemic. Donald G. McNeil, Jr. was alone in the New York Times newsroom a week after Christmas 2015. A health reporter, McNeil was looking for a good story when he first spotted a CNN clip about Brazil asking citizens to stop having children. Shocked, McNeil started asking why.  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 0:50   I'd never heard of any public official ever asking women to stop having children. I mean, that's just unheard of.  Isabella Paxton 0:57   The reason for the extreme requests he discovered, the Zika virus. The Zika virus is a mosquito borne ailment that in some pregnant woman leads to microcephaly in their babies. This causes children to have significantly smaller heads and brain development issues. Stumbling across what was at first glance a small story led to years of reporting. McNeil covered the 2015 and 2016 virus outbreak and later wrote the book “Zika: The Emerging Epidemic.” Now, he's reporting on COVID-19  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 1:26   I think I wrote 100 and something stories that year, and the vast majority of them are about Zika. Just like this year, practically every story I write is going to be about Coronavirus.  Isabella Paxton 1:43   As with today’s reporting on COVID-19, the intense, deadline-driven coverage of the Zika virus in 2016 caused facts to fall through the cracks and misinformation to spread at a high rate of speed through digital media platforms around the world. McNeil was concerned that the public wasn't well enough informed  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 1:59   The United States government doesn't normally issue warnings, warnings that will tank other countries’ economies without giving them some heads up. But meanwhile, you know, pregnant women were getting on planes to the Caribbean, and I just thought was this was incredibly irresponsible.  Isabella Paxton 2:12   Sound familiar? Despite all of the warnings about COVID-19, some citizens believe they can continue daily routines or vacation plans that could spread contagion.  Isabella Paxoton 2:29   A health official who worked for the CDC, Lynelle Phillips, believes that the problem stems from poor communication.  Lynelle Phillips 2:35   That's a mixed message and it undermines the authority of the health department and it compromises their ability to have a successful response to an outbreak.  Isabella Paxton 2:48   the Zika virus posed special problems, Phillip says.  Lynelle Phillips 2:51   One of the issues with Zika virus is a completely different thing in that it was a vector borne disease. It was caused by mosquitoes carrying a virus and and and it was a particularly affected a different vulnerable population that is pregnant women and their fetuses.  Isabella Paxton 3:08   Even though Zika affected a relatively small sector of the population, the dangers to pregnant women and their unborn children created worldwide panic. Journalists became rushing to publish articles and in Phillips’ opinion, some of them sensationalized events in order to gain more views.  Lynelle Phillips  3:23   It just raises anxiety of the public. And you know, I mean, you you always worry about causing panic. And then the flip side is that if you don't emphasize it enough, then people will go about their daily business and disregard the looming threats.  Isabella Paxton 3:40   Phillips believes that there's a line between chaos and ignorance. She said reporters have to be very careful with the words they choose and the stories they run. McNeil made sure to carefully walk that line. But he also says health officials owe it to the public to sound the alarm when there's danger. Our first episode discussed the Chinese government's unwillingness to take the first reports of COVID 19 seriously. In 2016, when he was learning about the Zika epidemic, McNeil ran into similar problems with the US Centers for Disease Control.  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 4:08   I called the CDC and said, you know what's going on here? Well, you know, you this this virus is supposedly spreading I see other reports that the disease is turning up all over Caribbean islands and things like that. People are going on vacations including pregnant women are going on family vacations to to the Caribbean. Are you planning to do anything?  Isabella Paxton 4:29 McNeil believed that informing the public had to become the government's top priority to keep rumors from spreading and people safe. McNeil made a plea to the CDC saying.  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 4:39 You guys have to put out guidance because pregnant women are calling me for advice and I am not a doctor. I'm a journalist. You know, you guys have to put out guidance.  Isabella Paxton 4:47   McNeil spent two weeks making phone calls to cruise industries asking if they plan to change their positions on a travel alert. But often, the answer was no.   Donald G. McNeil Jr. 4:57   They said no, no, no. Yeah, we take advice from the CDC and they didn’t put it in a special travel alerts.  Isabella Paxton 5:07   McNeil learned how to report succinctly and accurately through his years at the New York Times. He applies the techniques of neutrality to reporting on both the Zika virus and COVID-19. Although the two are similar in some ways, COVID-19 has its own challenges because of the magnitude of its impact and the speed of its spread.  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 5:24   We had never heard of it until December 30. And now, it's only March and now it's circling the world and it's here in New York. And, you know, basically the country's in panic, life is going to be disrupted in a major, major, major way right where people live.  Isabella Paxton 5:40   Because of his reporting on Zika, McNeil knows how to report on an outbreak without causing panic. One method, slow down.  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 5:47   I spend a lot of my time thinking about whether I'm projecting the right level of alarm, because people pay a lot of attention to the New York Times.  Isabella Paxton 6:01   Remember Lynelle Phillips, the Mizzou health official who worries about reporters over-sensationalizing pandemic news? She thinks public officials have to live up to their part of the bargain too. In her opinion, unnecessary panic can be avoided when public health professionals openly communicate with journalists. Then journalists can do their job.  Lynelle Philliips 6:19   Public Health folks need to be willing to put ourselves out there and have a clear message and a consistent message. Because, you know, journalists can be our partners in this situation to get reliable information out.  Isabella Paxton 6:35   McNeil understands that he must be mindful of the impact of his reporting.  Donald G. McNeil Jr. 6:39   The stakes are higher this time.  Isabella Paxton 6:41   Reporting on outbreaks requires journalists to find a way to report information without causing a panic. By looking at how journalists have covered past epidemics, we’re hoping that they, as well as their audiences, can learn some helpful lessons about how to get through COVID-19. In partnership with KBIA, I’m Isabella Paxton with Jacob Faber, Tom Kavanaugh, Caitlin King, and Margo Wagner. That’s it for this edition of Global Journalist! Next time, we talk with photojournalist Michael G. Seamans about his coverage on Ebola. Have any stories for us? Send us an email at globaljournalist@missouri.edu. 

Global Journalist: Covering two deadly viruses

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Global Journalist: Covering two deadly viruses

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