Grasping nCoV

The novel coronavirus (nCoV) from Wuhan, China has been causing fear and panic all over the world ever since people started reporting about it online.

To compare, the mortality rate of SARS is relatively higher than the new coronavirus, and I believe that the reason behind the panic is that it was reported in a very technical way which seemed scary and alarming for people who are not familiar with the kind of language that is used in events such as the outbreak.

If I were to write about the issue, I would discuss it in a way that a commoner would understand, without having to compromise important details that are vital for the safety of the readers, such as various precautionary measures in order to not acquire the virus and fact checks that would help them feel at ease amidst the rising number of people infected. Together with this, I would also provide shortened versions of reports using infographic posters for people who understand better through visual aids, such as comparisons of previous coronaviruses using graphs and again, what to and what not to do using icons and short descriptions. Lastly, all of my reports will be written based only on official reports from verified organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) in the Philippines, to avoid further misinformation of the public. I will also emphasize the importance of first verifying what people see online before believing it.

I believe that as future media practitioners, we should put the skills that we’re currently learning in this course into good use and be of help when it comes to educating the public, especially in times like this. We should always remain critical and vigilant in an era of fake news and misinformation.

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