The pandemic forces media people to change their ways on information gathering with the emergence of Zoom interviews, virtual press conferences, and different method just to have a safe working environment.
But there are some journalists who still chose to be on the field, no matter how high the risks may be.
One of those who stay within the frontlines of the seemingly never-ending battle against COVID-19 is ABS-CBN journalist Jeff Canoy.
Canoy explained that ‘there’s an energy, an emotion and a feel for things’ that can’t be captured in Zoom interviews and phone calls.
I know there’s a huge risk for journos covering inside hospitals but there’s still something about being there and bearing witness. There’s an energy, an emotion and a feel for things that are quite difficult to capture via phoners or Zoom interviews. Also I’m a weirdo so pic.twitter.com/qUCOE8i8RV
— Jeff Canoy (@jeffcanoy) March 18, 2021
It was not easy adjusting to the situation, as Canoy shared that he have to let go and adapt to some habits to keep himself safe during coverages.
“Had to let go of certain habits like placing cameras on floors, tables. How to disinfect equipment (and bringing spare ones to use after COVID ward shoot),” said Canoy.
“Journos are all still in the process of writing the playbook on how to safely cover a pandemic. Some newsrooms don’t allow hospitals, others do,” he added.