Media prism under the spotlight?- mediatic and overlooked events

The panel discussion was trying to find answers for the questions why some crisis like Haiti earthquake become more mediatic while others are overlooked like the flood in Pakistan, why children and women are the most vulnerable and even most covered by the media, how is it to visit war zones and places hit by natural disasters after several months, what kind of relationship NGOs or military and journalists maintain or what are the different responsiblities of journalists.

The great audience gathered in Centro Servizi G. Alessi was guided through these questions by the director of communications MSF Italy, Sergio Cecchini together with 2 other journalist Paola Zanuttini from La Repubblica and Giovanni Porzio from Panorama and a humanitarian worker/anesthesiologist, Paola Mazzoni.

The event was in association with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), international medical humanitarian organization.

Giovanni Porzio pointed out that among the reasons why Pakistan was less covered by the media and reluctantly get aid despite of the huge devastation is the country’s association with terrorism, host for Al-Kaida. While what happened in Haiti was sudden, and very good subject for photography. Paola Mazzoni related to the terrible situation prior to the flood in Pakistan in terms of helath care or communication as well as public security. MSF aims to represent fragile people through running hospitals, mobile clinics, providing safe drinking water and treating mainly poverty related diseases like malaria or TBC. “Health care in Pakistan is the priviladge of the wealthy people. If you become sick, it usually means that you are going to die.”- says Paola Mazzoni.

Security remains important issue for journalists who usually rely on the information provided by NGOs working locally in conflict areas. There are security rules to make info availible, not for censorship reasons but to protect hospitals or doctors for example. What is also important to take into account is that journalists don’t stay as long as NGOs in a certain area so they have even bigger responsiblities about what they say when after they have returned.

Kata Molnar