COVID-19 UK: Ana González Talks About Her Experience Covering Covid-19
Ana Gonzalez has been covering the pandemic from the United Kingdom. She had originally been working on documentaries for the BBC and other organizations out of Saudi Arabia. But when the pandemic began to intensify in the US and Europe, she chose to cut her trip short and return to London. She did so just in the nick of time as Saudi Arabia closed its own borders to fight the coronavirus.
Ana shared how the fear of being stranded in Saudi Arabia led her to make a quick decision and urgently return to London.
“I could have ended up getting stranded indefinitely and the Spanish embassy advised me to leave. I also discovered that my health insurance, which is part of a scheme run by Reporters Without Borders, does not cover pandemics - and I suspect many others are facing the same problem,” Ana informed CFWIJ. She said that she is now living in London at her boyfriend’s family home and has not been interacting with anyone at all.
Ana thinks that covering a pandemic would be complicated, as it is a very difficult time to get access to shoot, which is necessary when making documentaries. “Being unable to go out and meet people adds another layer of complexity,” she said.
Several of Ana’s productions have been cancelled or postponed following the coronavirus. Therefore, she has teamed up with her partner Frederick Bernas - also a filmmaker/journalist, and has started “a kind of ‘emergency production company’ to help generate work for us and our colleagues, many of whom are in similar situations,” she said. The two have named their project Lockdown Labs.
Ana informed us that the first production was a video story about an innovative "quarantine theatre" in Hungary, which will be out soon.
“Next up, we are developing projects in the UK, Spain and Poland - and always searching for more stories. All interviews are being conducted online, which is new for me as I usually meet everyone in person - that's why I do this job!... The world is big and there are so many stories to be told. But now, there is no choice - either you work on the Coronavirus or you don’t work at all,” Ana shared.
She told us that she has been in self-isolation. For Ana, whose work is largely based on visual journalism, the main challenge is not being able to go anywhere.
“I am working with people in different countries and we are making sure any team members have protective gear - the most important thing is to keep everyone safe. I read a really helpful article by a Chinese journalist covering Wuhan and I am trying to follow his advice,” she said.
With respect to logistical challenges, Ana says that the situation is rather unprecedented and that she cannot go anywhere. “People can't move or fly to other countries, so we're using networks of friends and colleagues, some of whom we have previously collaborated with. As we normally work internationally, we already know a lot of people and it’s pretty easy to make satellite teams,” she informed CFWIJ.
Ana has been using Zoom to do most of her work and is keeping in touch with her producer friends from around the world for logistical help, as well as using Facebook groups to find team players in different places.
In order to maintain her sanity during these uncertain times, Ana said that the best thing she does is to stay busy.
“I’m trying to generate a lot of work and even though it’s all related to the Covid-19 situation, I prefer to focus on the positive side as much as possible. Rather than talking about government incompetence,” she said and added that she wants to share stories about inspirational local volunteers and heroic medical professionals.
The global pandemic has affected the financial prospects of several journalists around the world. Ana, too, is also concerned about financial survival in times when most of the world is literally at a halt. Despite not being able to pull off the numerous documentaries she was to film in Saudi Arabia, Ana said that she and her team managed to wrap at least one following their haphazard exit from the country.
She lost a lot of work and had to pay for accommodation knowing very well that nobody will cover the cost because she works freelance. Ana stated how a law to protect independent workers and small enterprises is inevitable in present circumstances.
“It might be difficult for many people to think beyond the next few days, but there will eventually be an "after" - and I’ll still need to pay for rent, food, etc. That’s how I see it - and there’s not much more I can do right now. I am a yoga practitioner and have taken part in different retreats - including many days of silence - so I am looking at this in the same way. I am cleaning my mind and organizing my thoughts. I feel ok,” she stated.
Ana further shared, “listening to other people and helping - whenever possible - also makes me feel better. Despite all the job loss and the lockdown, I feel very lucky and grateful because my family and my friends are healthy. I guess being aware of that is making me feel okay overall.”
When we asked how she finds COVID-19 different from her usual beats, this is what she had to say.
“I look for stories about fascinating people who are doing impressive things to change the world. I never report on trending topics unless it happens to randomly fit my topic of interest. Right now, we are essentially forced to report on COVID-19 if we want to work. The trick is how to do it in your own way. For example, I’ve been researching stories about artists and pitching ideas related to what they’re doing to stay busy and survive.”
As for tips for other journalists covering the pandemic in the midst of uncertainty Ana said, “It cannot last forever!”
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