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Johannesburg, May 27, (People's Daily Online) -- Professionals and scholars called on an active role of the media in providing information about the Covid-19 pandemic at a China-Africa media webinar held on May 26, 2020.

With the theme of Media's Role in the Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic, the webinar, hosted by ChinAfrica magazine, was attended by media professionals and scholars from China and South Africa.

Li Jianguo, Associate EDITOR-in-Chief of BEIJING REVIEW, stressed the role of the media in maintaining social STABILITY and boosting confidence of the public during the epidemic.

"Chinese media provided a large amount of useful information to the general public, including the latest development of the pandemic and personal prevention measures. People could make judgments based on what they learned from the media," Li said.

ChinAfrica has published four issues with cover reports focusing on the novel coronavirus. The March issue detailed China's actions and the stories of medical workers in the battle against the disease; the April issue covered China's efforts at the community level to prevent further spread of the virus; for the May issue, the magazine reported Africa's efforts in combating the disease as it spread to more African countries; and the June issue will look at how the Chinese economy is gradually recovering as the epidemic is basically contained in the country, Li introduced.

In her opinion, some information given by the media about the pandemic is largely incoherent, unreliable and very confusing to most people on what should be done. She said that the media is a POWERFUL force in shaping opinions and how we experience the world. The role of journalists should be to provide effective health communication, especially related to prevention measures, and curtail misinformation.

We know that World Health Organization (WHO) Director General [Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus] has said that this is a time for science, not rumors, and a time for solidarity, not stigma. I think that is very important," she said.

Zhang Pei, Chief of International Cooperation Division, External Relations Department of People's Daily and Representative of the Secretariat of Belt and ROAD News Network, mentioned misconduct of some Western media in reporting the pandemic. "We regret to see some Western media organizations politicize the pandemic, fabricate and spread ridiculous opinions without considering facts. This reflects their inopportune ignorance and arrogance, as well as the disregard to the life and health of all human beings," he said.He noted that now more than ever, people need objective and accurate information and the role played by the media is more crucial than before. A responsible media should play a constructive role in promoting global cooperation and fighting the pandemic together.

Speaking on the role of TV, JOHN Bailey, eNCA Input Manager and National Assignment Editor, said that he and his colleagues started to plan programs to spread more useful information about the novel coronavirus to the public after the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic.

"We are making sure that we report in a very responsible way. We know how important the role of the media is during this time," he said.

According to Bailey, eNCA has produced various videos on the city of Wuhan, the previous epicenter of the COVID-19 in China, with focus on how the government has helped people deal with the virus. "In general, we have had very positive feedback from South Africans, and it's good to get their views on the situation," Bailey added.