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The World Health Organization has described the disinformation that is taking place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as a "massive infodemic", a driver of the epidemic itself. In the current crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic, media workers play a vital role just like other key professionals. Consequently, news media, data journalism, fact-checkers and investigative reports shed light on while disinformation sheds darkness, fear and a series of bad decisions.

In fulfilling their role, journalists in Lebanon and around the world have to deal with unprecedented professional challenges that range from switching to health coverage for those without a previous specialty, to ensure their health safety, while differentiating between misinformation. In addition, Lebanese journalists have to deal with economic crisis that led to the closure of some written, visual and audio media, with the consequent shrinking of the space for expressing opinion and reporting the news.

In addition, the rapid development of digital media, and the spread of random news sites in some cases, contributed to a kind of escapism, lack of commitment to objectivity, accuracy in spreading the news and impartiality. The most important of all is the safety of media professionals and the physical and moral violence they are exposed to, that negatively affect their productivity and media work. All this calls for training and empowerment to restore these foundations, and to keep pace with technological development to ensure that the news, photos, and videos that are published are correct, in a safe framework for journalists, their resources, and their equipment.

For all the above causes, and within its communication and information sector mandate, it was normal for UNESCO-Beirut Office to partner with the Ministry of Information to launch a series of training webinars, titled “Journalism during and post COVID-19”, to provide the needed skills, knowledge and tools for journalists and hence, contribute for the development of media sector in Lebanon.

The four webinars series started on the 16th of February 2021 and ended on the 12th of March 2021 and it included the following topics:

• Media coverage in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, conducted by Ms. Abeer El Saady with guest speaker, Dr. Abdul Rahman Bizri;
• Safety of journalists and mental health, conducted by Ms. Abeer Saady with guest speaker, Ms. Julie Posetti;
• Countering hate speech, conducted by Ms. Abeer Saady with guest speaker, Mr. Aidan White;
• Fact Checking, conducted by Ms. Magda Abu-Fadil with guest speaker, Ms. Nayla Salibi.

In her opening remarks, Minister Manal Abdel Samad welcomed UNESCO Beirut new Officer in Charge, Ms. Costanza Farina and commended the close cooperation the ministry has with UNESCO and stressed “As media institutions and journalists, we have to play a wise and positive role to calm things and find solutions to our problems through dialog and without spreading hate speech or disinformation”.

For her part, Ms. Costanza Farina, talked about the importance of training and international experience in the development of journalists’ skills. She also said “Media workers are doing their jobs in the middle of many crisis that affected Lebanon, unfortunately, starting with the Beirut Port explosion and all the way to COVID-19 that invaded the whole world. However, we have to create an opportunity from every crisis”.

It is worth mentioning that the webinar series that was attended by veteran journalists and media students, aimed at creating a professional and safe media environment where journalists can perform their work in a safe, ethical and neutral manner and away from hate speech, fake news within the pressing situation we are going through with COVID-19. The various sessions brought interactive discussions, success stories and experiences exchange from national, regional and international angles.