# 3880
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard today announced the launch of a web-based guide for journalists covering pandemic flu.
This is a feature rich and valuable resource, and I’m looking forward to exploring it further. I’ve placed a link to it in my side bar under Resources & Toolkits.
Update: After spending less than an hour exploring this site, I’ve come away even more impressed. This is a great resource for anyone wanting to know more about pandemic influenza, not just for journalists.
The contributors are a `who’s who’ of science based journalism, and they provide sorely needed context for complex issues.
Based on everything I’ve seen so far, this is highly recommended.
Excerpts from the press release are below.
Nieman Foundation Launches Guide to Covering Pandemic Flu
Cambridge, Mass. – The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard today is launching a comprehensive online guide to covering pandemic flu. Written by and for journalists, www.coveringflu.org is a one-stop resource designed to help reporters, editors, producers and other media professionals understand the complexities of the flu story. It also offers guidance and best practices for reporting on the topic.
Journalists using the Nieman guide can quickly access essential elements of the flu story and learn from veteran reporters and editors who have covered outbreaks such as SARS, avian influenza, and the first wave of H1N1 in spring 2009. They also can discover how to maintain their independence and continue to exercise rigorous journalistic inquiry when called on by the government and/or public health officials to share messages with the public in times of crisis.
As misconceptions about the flu, the H1N1 vaccine, government preparedness and other issues continue to swirl and confuse the public, careful, well researched reporting on the topic is more important than ever. And with both seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccination campaigns and other response measures coming into full swing this fall and winter, coverage that neither sensationalizes nor sugarcoats the news is crucial.
