World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) Webinars on Ebola

The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) organised free webinars on Ebola/Infectious diseases in March 2015, which are now available online. They seek to raise journalist's awareness about the current situation and the longer-term outlook on Ebola. They also look at what lessons can be learned from the Ebola outbreak and from the media coverage of the epidemic. According to WSFJ, "the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Western Africa highlighted the urgent need to close the gap in communication between scientists, journalists and communities. Beyond the devastating outcome of EVD, poor communication clearly heightened apprehension among the public, while potentially seeding confusion among scientists and journalists who report the outbreak." The webinars are designed for reporters, editors, producers, bloggers, and anyone who wants to give their audience a better understanding of an evolving story around the spread of the EVD virus or other infectious diseases. Specifically, they offer journalists:

• A rapid overview of the situation
• A basic toolbox for health and science reporting
• Ways to cover infectious diseases with context and accuracy.

The following webinars are available for viewing:

• Host: Helen Branswell – medical reporter for The Canadian Press - Covering Ebola: The story is not over (recorded March 18)
• Host: Martin Enserink – medical writer and editor for Science (recorded March 25 2015)
• Host: Claire Hédon – health journalist at Radio France Internationale (RFI) in French (recorded March 26 2015).

The WFSJ has also developed a free online course on Ebola/infectious diseases in English and French. Click here to access this resource.