Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Hi SYN community!

We’ve set up this page to house regular updates on SYN’s approach to Coronavirus (COVID-19).

We do not require any action from our listeners and supporters. This page has been set up to let the public know how we’re handling Coronavirus with our internal community.

You can find updates on RMIT’s approach here.

If you are worried that you may have contracted or come into contact with the virus, the Department of Human Health and Services have a dedicated hotline to offer direction: 1800 675 398.

You can also find helpful support resources, including information and helplines, at this Headspace link.

This page will be updated regularly, so stay tuned!

Love from the SYN Staff xx

Image Caption: A photo of the SYN staff [from left to right] Molly, Cambpell (outgoing GM), Maddy, Erin, Evrim (incoming GM), Danny (incoming SYN Media Learning Coordinator), Johan and Merryn (outgoing SYN Media Learning Coordinator).

Internal community update as of 12:00, 23 March 2020

Hey SYNers,

Hoping you are all safe and well.

As you may have heard, the Victorian government is shutting down non-essential activity across the state over the next two days. This will include RMIT, and therefore, the SYN studios.

RMIT’s campus will be closing at 5:00pm today (Monday the 23rd of March).

If you feel you need to come to the SYN spaces to collect anything essential you must do so before 5pm. If you choose to do this, please practice social distancing and good hygiene.

After this, RMIT and SYN spaces will not be accessible until further notice. Like everyone else, we’re waiting for further updates from the Victorian government regarding when access will return.

The good news is, we’ve already started preparing to broadcast remotely, and we’ll keep putting those processes in place! There might be a tricky teething period, but we’ll be running smoothly before you know it. We’ll have some extra remote content resources for you in the Facebook group by the end of the day today.

We appreciate that these events may cause distress for you and other SYNers.

If you are worried that you may have contracted or come into contact with the virus, the Department of Human Health and Services have a dedicated hotline to offer direction: 1800 675 398.
You can find helpful support resources, including information and helplines, from Headspace: https://headspace.org.au/young-people/how-to-cope-with-stress-related-to-covid-19/
Find RMIT specific updates here: https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/alerts

Thanks for your patience with us while we navigate SYN through this period. Although the studios are closed, we’ll still be here supporting you to make great content.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. Maddy’s email is [email protected].

Lots of love,

The SYN Staff

p: 03 9639 2537
e: [email protected]

________________________________________________________

Internal community update as of 19:00, 16 March 2020

Hi SYNers,

We hope you are all well during this time of uncertainty regarding the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). We want to thank you for your patience and understanding while we are developing strategies to protect our community and continue our work.

The SYN office is now temporarily closed for staff and volunteers. SYN’s live programming will continue until further notice.

SYN staff have decided to close the SYN office and will be working from home wherever possible. We are all contactable on our emails, and can set up meetings via video link where needed.

As RMIT University have not closed the city campus, you can still access the office for essential reasons. However, we strongly encourage you and your teams to complete any show preparation, editing or other off-air tasks remotely.

You can still access the SYN studios, including the prerecord studios. Book these by emailing Maddy or Erin as usual.

There is a chance that SYN will be forced to close for a period of time. We’ll provide more information on this if and when this becomes imminent.

Things you can do in the meantime to prepare:

If you’re sick, please do NOT come to SYN.
Pre-record your segments/shows where possible. Think about how you can create ‘highlight reel’ type content, record on-location in advance, or record from home over the next few days. This will help SYN continue to broadcast if and when a lockdown occurs.
Ask in advance for your content to be scheduled. Email Erin ([email protected]) to have your show scheduled during this time.
Avoid bringing interviewees into the studios. Instead, conduct interviews over Skype or Whatsapp. This is in the best interest of our volunteers and your interviewees.

Studio Hygiene

We are taking measures to ensure safe practice in the radio studios, including routine cleaning of microphone wind socks and wiping down of surfaces. We ask that you do your part to ensure our space stays safe by:

Taking mic socks off microphones and spraying with disinfectant spray (Glen 20) after your show
Spraying the door handle with disinfectant spray (Glen 20) after your show.
Using hand sanitiser before and after you operate any equipment.
We have provided spray in the live studio, and there is hand sanitiser in the RMIT hallways. However, please bring your own spray and sanitiser wherever possible. Please email Maddy ([email protected]) if you find that we have run out or are running low.

When you’re at SYN, do what you would do anywhere else:

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
Avoid touching your face
Keep SYN spaces clean, and wipe down surfaces in the kitchen with multipurpose spray

Seek Support

We appreciate that these events may cause distress for you and other SYNers.

If you are worried that you may have contracted or come into contact with the virus, the Department of Human Health and Services have a dedicated hotline to offer direction: 1800 675 398.

You can find helpful support resources, including information and helplines, at this Headspace link.

Read more about RMIT’s approach and find RMIT specific updates here.
We will maintain communication with you all regarding new developments. Please don’t hesitate to email Maddy via [email protected] if you have any questions.

Take care of each other!
Lots of love,

The SYN Staff

p: 03 9639 2537
e: [email protected]

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