The coronavirus crisis is affecting not only business as usual, but journalism as usual.

As with any major breaking news story, a journalist’s first instinct is to get to the scene quickly and report on an unfolding tragedy. Journalists visit the field, adding colour to the event and provide a picture of the devastation that the event has inflicted.

During the coronavirus crisis, the ability to access sources and interview those suffering from the virus is severely limited, with lockdowns making "traditional" journalism near impossible. What effect is this happening on journalist's ability to report accurately and colourfully about the crisis? 

This event aims to look at this new frontier of journalism created by the coronavirus crisis and the impact and industry trends it might create going forward; it will also offer practical tips to reporters impacted by a curtailing of their own freedom of movement on how they might cover the crisis.

The effect of the virus has also increased the output fake news, which has been labelled by the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,  as an "infodemic". Given our limited understanding of Covid-19 so far coupled with the inability for journalism as usual to flourish, how can the industry help to dispel myths and aid the collective fight against the virus?

Event guest speakers:

David Willey is the BBC's Rome and Vatican correspondent, where he has been covering the papacy and Italian politics since 1972. David started his career working as a freelance reporter in Algeria after it had gained its independence from France and worked as the BBC's East Africa correspondent before covering the Vietnam War where he was stationed in Saigon. He was awarded an OBE 2003 for his services to broadcast journalism.

Josie Ensor is the Daily Telegraph's US correspondent in New York. She moves recently to the US after several years as the Telegraph's correspondent in the Middle East. Her posting led Josie to extensively cover the Syrian war, the plight of Yazidi women in Iraq and the role of the Kurdish movement in the war. Before Josie moved to the US, she was awarded the Press Gazette's Marie Colvin award in recognition of her work. 

Denis Campbell, health policy editor for the Guardian and the Observer. Denis has written about the NHS, public health and medicine since 2007. Denis will reflect on how we’ve ended up where we are as a result of successive government’s health policies, but also how the current Johnson premiership is affected the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis.