Does Citizen TV have reporters who can cover health stories using words that mean something?
The network’s coverage last week about a prototype ventilator built at Kenyatta University may have left many viewers confused, not informed.
It is April 11. Anchor Sam Gituku is in the studio on a segment about Covid-19. The camera cuts to a reporter at Kenyatta University. In the set is a busy background with computers and peripheral devices and young men and women, later identified as students, in proper white lab coats and facemasks.
“Well, Sam, there you have it,” the reporter starts. “This is the entire SATA prototype, which is yet to be approved.”
SATA prototype? Sounds brilliant. But what animal is that? A Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA is a standard for connecting and transferring data from hard disk drives to computer systems. But this technical term is not explained to the audience.
The reporter continues: “Now as you can see, this is a dummy person and eh it’s aiding him to, hm, to breathe.”
A mannequin is called a dummy person. Okay.
Our reporter soldiers on, stress lines forming horizontal river-lets on his forehead.
“And then we have the entire system here that, uh, has all these connections from, oh, as you can see, this is the machine that, eh, they’re calling it the mixer.
Never mind if that’s a sentence that makes sense. But do “the connections” have a name? Tubing and electrical cables, perhaps?
More reporting:
“Because it’s in here that, um, medical air and oxygen is mixed before now it’s delivered, uh, to the person, uh, for example, the person who is in need of, um, oxygen, and especially when we’re talking about ICU cases.”
Count the number of ahs, ehs and ums in that one sentence. It wasn’t a good day for this reporter.
Nevertheless, he turns to interview a 20-something-looking young man who says he is a fifth-year student. “I can assure you, one hundred per cent, that this machine is going to work,” the student says.
“Thank you so much,” the reporter chimes in. Clearly, he doesn’t catch or doesn’t know what in the world is 100 per cent.
A student is 100 per cent sure? No follow-up question to test this hyperbole? No opening the bonnet and kicking the tires, so to speak? What do experts think?
The reporter signs off with cheerleading: “There, you’ve heard him. They are sure and they have assured the country that this machine will work and will solve the shortage of ventilators in the country.”
The country has shortage of ventilators? Describe shortage. Has somebody done basic research? What are the numbers that define shortage?
Okay, competent live reporting is hard. It’s not for every Joe or Jane. But does it hurt to do minimum research before heading out on an unfamiliar beat?
A reporter’s job is to explain, not cheerlead and mislead. You may be a fine reporter, but on a wrong beat even you won’t know what you’re talking about.
When you look flustered and sound confused behind the mic, imagine how informed your audience will be!
