Free session to train journalists about covering COVID-19 vaccine

Poynter is offering the following free webinar to journalists:

Webinar: Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. CT

If a COVID-19 vaccine is to have any chance of slowing the pandemic, journalists — especially local journalists — will have to understand the science, logistics and potential concerns about the vaccination process. To assist in these efforts, the Poynter Institute and The American Medical Association will connect journalists with top vaccination experts in a live two-hour webinar. The training will be hosted by Poynter senior faculty Al Tompkins, who writes the daily Covering COVID-19 newsletter and column on poynter.org. Guests include:

•    Dr. Susan Bailey, President of the American Medical Association

•    Dr. Leon McDougle, President of the National Medical Association

•    Dr. Paul Offit, American pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, vaccines, immunology, and virology

•    Patricia A. Stinchfield, President of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

The webinar is timed to help local journalists cover the COVID-19 vaccines just as experts anticipate administering the first 6 million doses in the United States. We know from previous vaccination efforts that local news is critically important: Audiences trust local news the most, and local journalists will be critical in guiding the public to vaccine administration sites and explaining eligibility.

Cost: Free. $15 suggested donation.

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