‘COVID-19 reporting is a big opportunity and a huge challenge at the same time’

First Responders is our special series on intrepid media professionals on the ground, at the frontline of covering the COVID-19 crisis. These journalists are putting their lives at risk to bring updates on Government efforts and human suffering, uncovering stories from affected areas, hospitals and even crematoriums, while mitigating the threat of fake news. Today, we feature Vinod Gopi, Senior Reporter, Malayala Manorama. 

For 38-year-old Gopi, who has been covering the COVID-19 pandemic for the newspaper in Kochi district since March 2020, each day brings extra worry, as he has an eight-month-pregnant wife, Soumya, at home. Gopi says Soumya not only gives him excellent haircuts but also manages all household chores with a baby bump, as he is mostly out on the field. His parents were supposed to come over to support them but were held back due to travel restrictions. Gopi is very excited about the baby and has to be extremely careful while going out to coronavirus-affected areas, although his wife never stops him.

 What have you been covering specifically during the COVID-19 crisis and since when?

Until the COVID-19 outbreak, the only experience I've had with regard to covering a major health issue was when I reported on the Nipah virus infection from Kochi last year. Since there were positive coronavirus cases in Kochi starting in early March, it has become my full-time assignment. I focus on patient-related news spanning hospitals, the care given to patients, their recovery and the COVID-19 infrastructure in the hospitals, especially the testing facility and Government intervention. 

Covering the pandemic from ground zero, what has been the biggest challenge you faced?

Journalists across the globe are facing a situation like this for the first time. It was often impractical to report directly from the scene and the biggest challenge was to make sure the reports were comprehensive and factually correct. I depend on various sources for information and yet fact-checking becomes a difficult task. Most of the health officials are unavailable to talk to the media due to their busy schedule. We have to wait till evening for any official confirmation, since unconfirmed news reports may create panic among people. We cannot talk to COVID-19 positive patients directly and most of our conversations happen over the phone and via WhatsApp. Sometimes, this leads to a lack of emotional connect, which is key in writing human interest stories.

What moved you the most? Tell us about the experience.

I had the opportunity to talk to COVID-19 patients, health workers and ordinary people. Local health workers have more chances of getting exposed to the virus, since they contact patients directly. However, they never get the recognition they deserve. I once spoke to a junior health inspector who tested positive. He was working away from home and did not disclose his condition to his wife and children. Before getting discharged, he called up his wife and told her that he had tested positive but had recovered. Another incident was about a family of four, all of whom tested positive. The husband and wife were treated in the hospital isolation ward at the same time. Unfortunately, the husband succumbed to the virus, which was the first COVID-19 death in Kerala. His wife could only see his body through a video call. It was really sad. 

What is the kind of support that you get from your company?

Malayala Manorama gave us the option to work from home even before the lockdown began. Most of our reporters are now working from home since our company always gives priority to our health and safety. If anybody has symptoms, the company will ensure proper treatment. Reporters are always sharing news ideas through conference calls and suggestions given by our photographers, who travel across the region, have been very helpful in our news reporting.

Your message at the end of the day...

COVID-19 reporting is a big opportunity and at the same time a huge challenge. There are reports about journalists getting exposed to the virus. We have to be very careful about ground reporting and even more vigilant against fake news. This too shall pass