The GHLS concluded with a wonderful and insightful talk by Sarah Neville, a healthcare editor at the Financial Times. Ms. Neville's talk focused on the responsibility that journalists have in an event of a global crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, to make sure that the public is adequately informed and up-to-date. However, the pandemic has posed challenges to journalists and media in ways that other crises, including past pandemics, have not: the government is often receiving and interpreting information and data at the same time as the press (and the public), which puts a particular onus on news organisations to be accurate, timely, and easy to understand. Therefore, people are more reliant upon the press than usual, elevating their importance.
Ms. Neville also spoke about ways that she thinks that the pandemic might change healthcare journalism going forward, underscoring the ever-growing importance of a strong working relationship between the press, government, and scientists. She hopes that in the future, these groups can work together to make sure that the public are as well-informed as possible, especially in times of crisis such as now.