Newspapers educate residents while quashing rumors
In some residential compounds in Qingpu, residents received newly updated information about COVID-19 control and prevention from a community daily newspaper amid the citywide lockdown.
The newspaper includes the latest news about COVID-19, group-buying information, supply resources and nearby PCR test sites.
The newspaper was founded and is published by volunteers and staff of the local residential committee.
In Yingpu subdistrict, the original intent of launching a temporary newsroom was to quash rumors.
"Due to information asymmetry, rumors were spreading quickly in WeChat groups at the beginning of the lockdown," said Zhuang Jun, the subdistrict Party secretary. "We started the daily newspaper so those rumors would fall by the wayside and make group buying and other work more orderly."
In addition to quashing rumors, the daily journal in the Huapu community provides in-community service information to residents. One of its Q&A sections offers detailed information on issues such as where to find medicine and medical services as well as PCR test times. It also features uplifting stories about volunteers to give locked-down residents a sense of hope.
Volunteers and staff of a residential committee at Yingpu subdistrict work on a daily newspaper.
