MIRI: The Northern Sarawak Journalist Association (NSJA) distributed face masks and hand sanitisers to its members in conjunction with National Journalists Day (Hawana) which falls on May 29.
Hawana celebrates the recognition of journalists in shaping the minds of the community and was officially marked as a national event on Apr 11, 2018. The date was fixed in remembrance of the first edition of Utusan Melayu on May 29, 1939.
The association purchased 176 boxes of face masks, 88 bottles of 100mL hand sanitisers, and mask keepers, whereby each member media practitioner in Miri will receive two boxes (100 pieces) of face masks, a bottle of 100mL hand sanitiser, and two pieces of mask keepers.
Given the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the distribution of the items to 88 NSJA members is an effort to ensure that every member and reporter, who are also frontliners, is protected when carrying out their duties during the pandemic.
NSJA president Andy Jong said media practitioners are also frontliners as they have to obtain information to produce authentic and accurate reports on the latest developments of the Covid-19 situation in the country.
“Media personnel plays an important role concerning reports on the Covid-19 situation to maintain social order and to prevent fake news on social media to cause panic.
“Members of the media also face the risk of infection as they carry out their duties on the ground to gather the news for the public,” he said.
At the same time, he also urged the community to cultivate the new norm and strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stop the chain of transmissions.
On vaccinations, Jong said as media practitioners are listed as vaccine recipients in the second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (Pick), Miri based media workers are expected to be vaccinated in groups in May or June.
He hoped that all members of the media will be notified.
Recently, PICK coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that 5,867 media personnel from registered media agencies will receive their Covid-19 vaccines soon and appointment dates will be announced soon as possible after the National Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) receives details of media personnel.
