Valenciaport, in collaboration with À Punt Mèdia, has organised the webinar “Report in times of Covid-19
Mar Cabra, Pulitzer Prize winner; TVE correspondents in Lisbon and Paris, Belén Lorente and Almudena Ariza; Ana Lázaro (Euronews); Paco Audije (Libre Belgique), Regina Laguna, correspondent for Valenciaplaza.com in Brussels; and journalists from different press, radio and TV media in the Valencian Community took part in the digital meeting
The organisation of this event is an initiative of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) in the context of the exhibition “UNFORGETTABLE IMAGES” on display in the Clock Building of the Port of Valencia
Contrast information to avoid misinformation, reliability of sources, be self-critical of the profession, control the stress of journalists, teleworking, the view from local to international information, ….. These are some of the issues that have been addressed at the digital meeting “Report in times of Covid-19” organised by Valenciaport, in collaboration with À Punt Mèdia, and which has been attended by a prominent group of communication professionals who have discussed their experience during the pandemic. The webinar has brought together correspondents abroad, experts in investigative journalism, international media or regional and specialized press on port issues to give a complete picture of the work of the media during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The speakers gave their point of view on the journalistic work and the development of their activity in exceptional working conditions. Almudena Ariza, TVE correspondent in Paris; Jose Luís Zaragozá, Levante EMV; Mar Cabra, Pullitzer prize winner (for the information of the papers from Panama) and coordinator of theselfinvestigation have participated in the meeting. com; Isabel Domingo, Las Provincias; Elvira Graullera, Europa Press; Regina Laguna, Valencia Plaza; Ana Lázaro, Euronews; Juan Magraner, Cadena SER; Kike Mateu, Cadena SER; Rafael Miñana, La Gaceta del Turismo; María Méndez, Association of Galician Journalists; Félix Tena, À Punt; Fernando Vitoria, Diario del Puerto; Belén Lorente, TVE correspondent in Lisbon; Antonio Martín, EFE agency.
Thus, during the webinar the need to contrast sources was stressed. In this situation generated by the Covid-19 there has been much misinformation in all senses, starting with public institutions and official sources that have not been clear in transmitting the information, hence the need to go to various sources to contrast and offer the maximum veracity and points of view. In this sense, the limitations caused by the virus of having direct contact with the source have been emphasised, which has made it more dependent on communications and resorting to social networks, so that the information has been more homogeneous. The need for journalists and the media to be self-critical in order to learn from this situation and to be more responsible with the information that is transmitted to the people has been stressed.
The digital meeting also discussed teleworking, which has made person-to-person contact more difficult and has made it harder for public institutions to control it. In this aspect of teleworking, it has been valued that new technologies have made it possible to change routines. A debate has also been opened on the use of social networks, teleworking, the increase in the precariousness of the profession or the situations of stress that are being generated in communication professionals, highlighting the need to help journalists in managing stress and digital well-being.
Valenciaport values the work of society in the Covid-19
This digital meeting of communication professionals is part of Valenciaport’s commitment to promoting the city-port relationship, and specifically to highlight society’s ability to meet the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, during this pandemic, the PAV has organised the campaign #APieDelCañon to recognise the work of the professionals of the logistics and port community who have made it possible for the logistics chain not to stop and for the population not to be left without supplies.
Valenciaport has also promoted the homage exhibition Unforgettable Images, which can be visited until the 12th October in the Clock Building of the Port of Valencia, and which shows 200 physical photographs, more than 1,900 of which will be projected on screens and an audiovisual space of videos with testimonies recorded by the teams of À Punt Mèdia.