MUMBAI: The Board of Directors of News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has requested all news broadcasters to take certain preventive measures immediately to ensure social distancing to deal with Coronavirus. NBA president Rajat Sharma stated in a press release that keeping in mind the fact that news broadcasting is an essential service, studios and broadcast offices cannot be shut down.

The measures stipulated by the NBA are:

1. Steps should be taken to minimize staff in the broadcast centres and all those employees who can work from home should be requested to work from their residence. 

2. All reporters and camerapersons, who are out in the field among the public, shall not come to their offices but send their news feeds from the field.

3. All reporters and camera persons should not to crowd around individuals to collect sound bites. They should maintain a distance of at least four feet from one another while holding their mikes in pursuance of the WHO guidelines.

4. NBA has requested Delhi government to earmark a particular parking lot for parking DSNG vans so that these vehicles may not be required to return to office.

5. NBA has asked all member news channels to telecast special programmes to create awareness among the public about precautions to be followed to counter the Coronavirus threat.

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