The National Association of Broadcasters has joined the COVID Collaborative, which comprises groups and experts working on a unified approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NAB president Gordon Smith will serve as a member of the collaborative's advisory council.
"Radio and TV broadcasters have devoted tremendous resources to keeping their audiences safe and informed throughout the pandemic,” said Smith in a statement. “Now, as vaccines roll out and the nation’s recovery begins, local broadcasters will play an important role in educating and engaging viewers and listeners. NAB looks forward to working with the Collaborative in leveraging broadcasters’ connections to local communities across America to inform the public and defeat the virus."
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NAB describes the group as "a non-partisan group of the nation’s leading experts in public health, education and the economy working together with associations representing state and local leaders and vulnerable communities to take unified action to defeat the pandemic and sustainably and safely reopen the country."
Other members of the eclectic collaborative include The Ad Council, the CPB, Johns Hopkins, the NAACP, the National Urban League, and Walmart.
The bipartisan collaborative is co-chaired by former Governors Dirk Kempthorne (R-Idaho) and Deval Patrick (D-Mass.).
Also Read: NAB Seeks Early COVID-19 Vaccine for Journalists
The Trump Administration has taken a decentralized, state-by-state approach to the virus, one that has been criticized for failure to establish a coordinated approach to pandemic response and transmission prevention.
