'The biggest story ever': how journalists are coping with Covid-19

As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, the constant stream of news can feel overwhelming. But for the journalists reporting on the outbreak who can’t switch off, the personal toll is becoming apparent.

On Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday morning, newsreader Diana Speed was audibly emotional after reporting on an interview with Ken Finlayson, whose wife, Kimberley, 52, contracted coronavirus and died in Bali following surgery.

Elsewhere, on the US television network MSNBC, news anchor Rachel Maddow broke down on live television while paying tribute to her colleague Larry Edgeworth, who died of coronavirus.

Journalists delivering public service broadcasting have been identified as key workers along with health workers and those providing essential public services, meaning they can still send their children to school whilst they go to work. Many feel under enormous pressure to make sure that the public are getting the right information about the outbreak.

For Rob Osbourne, the National Correspondent for ITV Wales, looking after his family while continuing to report on the virus is putting him, like many journalists and others in frontline professions, under pressure. He was distracted in an editorial meeting earlier this week because his mother was repeatedly phoning him with questions about coronavirus. His mother has underlying health conditions and cares for his uncle, who has Down syndrome.

That was when Rob realised that telling his family’s story was an opportunity to help others across the country struggling to understand the rapidly changing information coming out of government. In the resulting video, which has had more than 135,000 views on Twitter, Rob talks to his mum about the difference between social distancing and self-isolation, and explains why he can’t come near her at the moment.

“There is an absolutely desperate need for clarity and information. ‘Hold their hand’ is the phrase they [senior editors] are using. We have a moral duty to explain this. This may well be the biggest story we ever cover and the public are turning to us for information.

“The fact that the virus is likely to impact the country for weeks or months to come means it is important that journalists do not burn out. This is a marathon. We’re in this for the long haul,” said Osbourne.

“I’ve always been able to separate the story from my own feelings. I’ve covered some horrific stories. But with this, it’s the personal element. For me yesterday it was that my uncle doesn’t understand why he can’t go out because he has Down syndrome. It’s normally me who takes him out but I can’t do it. That’s when I took a deep breath.

“It’s going to be tough. We’re professionals, but this is going to affect us all. And I think the public appreciate that. The human touch is appreciated.”

Job security is also another issue affecting the mental health of journalists, many of whom are freelancers and not entitled to statutory sick pay. Whilst the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said the government would cover 80% of workers’ salaries to keep them on the payroll, there is currently no protection for the self-employed. The National Union of Journalists says its freelance office has been inundated with enquiries from members who are already suffering.

One said: “I am a sport journalist left with no work at all as a result of the near-blanket cancellation of all sport. As a husband and father, I still have considerable monthly outgoings – just limited funds with which to meet my responsibilities.”

Another sport journalist who has lost most of his work said: “I have a mortgage and children. My children finish school and nursery on Friday, yet we have been told we will still be charged the monthly fee for the nursery. Thank god my wife is still working, but her own job could be in jeopardy despite her boss reassuring her she is OK for now.”

Hannah Storm, director of the Ethical Journalism Network, who has been working for the past decade in journalism safety, wrote: “News organisations have had to reinvent decades of working practices in days. Large numbers of journalists are self-isolating or quarantined, travel has been reduced between countries and within countries. As Covid-19 spreads, so do the levels of anxiety around what we know and don’t know, who and what to trust, and how to stay safe – physically and mentally – as journalists working in uncertain times.”

The BBC told the Guardian: “Covid-19 is a harrowing story for everyone, including our staff. The BBC takes seriously its responsibility to support employees during this time and there are support structures in place to ensure we do this effectively. We are determined to carry on covering the story for the public and will continue to do so for as long as it takes.”