«Fighting the Invisible Enemy»: Covid-19 through the Eyes of Journalists and Medical Professionals

At the end of February, a large-scale event dedicated to the Covid-19 pandemic took place in the building of the National Research University Higher School of Economics on Pokrovsky Boulevard. It was a unique moment that allows us to learn from the current experience.

© Olga Zotova

The event included a movie about how different Russian cities (Moscow, Obninsk, Cheboksary) coped with the Covid-19 challenges. After the movie, invited experts answered questions and shared their personal experiences. 

 The inner kitchen of the movie showed us large-scale conferences, meetings, and doctors' advice to each other. One impressive moment was an exhibition of paintings done by one surgeon in his spare time, using ink.

Marina and Sergei Shein, ambulance paramedics who fell in love and married at the beginning of the pandemic, were saving lives hand in hand. 

Valery Vechorko, one of the main guests of the event and chief doctor of the 15th Filatov Hospital in Moscow, answered questions and shared his thoughts. But in addition to the medical professionals, the journalists were also a huge help in spreading important information about the pandemic. During the filming, they dressed just like the doctors and actively informed the public about different aspects of the virus. They showed how people should lie on their stomachs to improve breathing based on the advice of medical experts. They filmed remote consultations of doctors from different regions to help in difficult cases. And when it came to pregnant women with Covid, they emphasized that not all medicines can be used in such cases.

Konstantin Muchnik, chief cameraman of VGTRK, spoke about a new media scheme that was used for the first time during the pandemic. Many synchronized interviews were recorded via phone, Skype and other means of communication to ensure the safety of journalists and keep in touch with the presenters.

Gulnara Soldatova, a film maker and correspondent for Moscow 24, shared her personal experience of working during the pandemic. She was broadcasting from home when she herself became ill with Covid. At the beginning of the pandemic, no one knew how long people would need to be quarantined. In case of illness, journalists set up their home studios and went on air from there. Also, Gulnara Soldatova shared her tips with the students and conducted a small interactive.

The event and the movie showed us that fighting the pandemic requires joint efforts of medical professionals and journalists. Both professional communities have played an important role in the fight against the virus, spreading information and supporting society in difficult times. To call this fight a "battle" is not an exaggeration. All participants showed true heroism and solidarity.

Covid-19 has affected each of us and changed our lives. However, thanks to the concerted efforts of medical professionals and journalists, we can overcome this storm and take lessons for the future. Let's hope that this attitude towards health workers and solidarity in society will remain with us even after Covid-19 is just a memorable episode in history.

Authors: Yanina Drankeevich & Polina Semenova,  second-year students of Master's programme "Contemporary Journalism"