For almost 3 weeks now, Africa Responds – an initiative we started to promote and support Africa’s efforts in the ebola crisis – has been holding a weekly Twitter discussion on wide-ranging topics around the ebola outbreak.
This week we tackle how the crisis has been covered in traditional Western media and the conversations happening in the fast-moving digital landscape of social media. We’ll also look at how African media has covered the outbreak and what Africans on social media are talking about it.
- What are some of the ways ebola coverage could be improved?
- Are there challenges to covering the outbreak on the ground as well as from across the pond?
- What kind of standards should govern the reporting global health emergencies like this one?
- Is the ebola outbreak a political discussion or a global health issue?
- Has traditional media done enough to dispel myths about the ebola virus?
Additionally, we’ll explore the emergence of data-driven communication platforms like Ebola Deeply and the soon-to-be-launched Ebola Map.
- What are their roles in informing both the media and the general public during sudden outbreaks?
- Are sites and platforms like this helpful or do they arrive too late to make a difference?
- Who is the primary audience for digital platforms like this?
Help us spread the message and invite your colleague to participate in this global conversation:
When: Wednesday, Nov 5th
Time: 12:00 EST
Twitter Handle: @AfricaResponds
Hashtags: #AfricaResponds #UnitedAgainstEbola
I hope you are able to join us tomorrow and contribute your views to this topic.
