Enhancing climate change and environmental reporting in South-East Asia
South-East Asia is among the regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, where rising sea levels and intensifying natural hazards affect millions of people in densely populated areas and coastal zones. As the extreme weather events increasingly impact livelihoods and cause displacement, information for making decisions on climate change mitigation and adaptation is becoming all the more vital.
While local media outlets do cover climate change and natural hazards, their reporting often focuses on emergency situations and expert opinions. However, there is a lack of diversity in sources and limited editorial capacities when it comes to climate-related topics.
Creating dedicated news segments
Recognising these gaps, UNESCO has developed the “Climate Change in News Media” training project for news organizations in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Timor-Leste. The programme, which runs from March to September 2023, aims to enhance climate change and environmental news reporting among participating broadcast and online media outlets.
Over the course of six months, the comprehensive programme includes an online workshop, post-training mentoring, and in-person ideation and prototyping sessions. Media organizations involved in this training will gain the necessary competencies to develop their own editorial projects and strategies, to create or strengthen dedicated programmes or sections focused on climate change and environment.
To implement this regional initiative, UNESCO has partnered with the Danish media development organization, International Media Support (IMS). The project also synergizes with the Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden, for which IMS serves as a partner.
Applying digital tools and solutions
One of the key aspects of the training programme is helping participating media outlets use digital tools and methodologies. These include open-source intelligence tools, geospatial data analysis, and hazard monitoring platforms, which will enable media professionals to investigate facts, research public records, and hold accountable powerful actors whose actions or inaction result in environmental degradation or increased disaster risks.
The training programme also emphasizes solutions journalism. While alarming facts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report highlight the dire state of the climate, constantly flooding audiences with negative news can lead to feelings of powerless or hopeless. To counter this, UNESCO’s project encourages participating editorial teams to employ a combination of approaches, to inform the public about solutions to climate-related challenges and environmental degradation, breaking the negativity bias and presenting stories through a new lens. The aim is to promote evidence-based dialogues and show both solutions and gaps to the audience.
Improving audience engagement
In light of the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women, smallholder farmers and other vulnerable groups, UNESCO’s initiative also seeks to foster their participation in the content production processes. Furthermore, the project addresses the lack of interest of young people in climate news. Ultimately, the participating media outlets will be better equipped to serve a more diverse audience while effectively reporting on climate change issues.
As part of the programme, experts and practitioners from different countries will share insights into audience engagement methods. This includes utilizing data visualization techniques, crafting compelling headlines, and harnessing the power of social media. Collaboration among newsrooms to produce cross-border investigative reports will also be encouraged.