Reporting on Climate Change workshop draws participants from over 20 countries
Over 50 journalists and media professionals from more than 20 countries took part in the World Conference of Science Journalists ‘Reporting on climate change’ workshop, jointly sponsored by UNESCO and the UK National Commission for UNESCO. The workshop, held on 29 June, provided a key opportunity for participants to hear from climate change experts, network with colleagues from around the world, and share their experiences of reporting on this complex issue.
Participants came from over 20 countries, including Argentina, Pakistan, Jordan, Zambia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Egypt.
Good climate change reporting means understanding the science of climate, the merits of proposed solutions, and the political and social context of the problem. The workshop covered all three areas with a focus on the needs of journalists in developing nations. Topics ranged from the impacts of climate change to whether geo-engineering approaches such as ocean iron fertilisation can mitigate them.
Expert speakers, including Bob Ward (LSE) and Chris Rapley (Science Museum), touched on adaptation to climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and how it operates, forests as carbon stores, the Stern Review, and parallels between the credit crunch and the climate crunch.
Breakout sessions in the afternoon allowed participants to undertake focused discussions with colleagues on the barriers they face when reporting on climate change and to share experiences and proposed solutions.
Workshop Producers:
- Mike Shanahan - IIED
- James Fahn - Internews
Workshop Speakers:
- Bob Ward – Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE
- Chris Rapley – Science Museum, ex-Director of the British Antarctic Survey
- Gustavo Faleiros – O Eco magazine, Brazil
- James Fahn - Internews
- Jenni Metcalfe – Australian Science Communications
- Liz Kalaugher - environmentalresearchweb
- Luisa Massarani – SciDev.Net
- Saleemul Huq - IIED
For a write-up on the workshop by Mike Shanahan, one of the workshop producers, click here.
For a write-up on the workshop by Racha Hanafi, one of the workshop participants, click here.
Written: 29/06/2009 , last modified: 29/06/2009
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British Satellite News - 2009 WCSJ Reporting on Climate Change Workshop
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Ralph Akinfeleye from the University of Lagos, Nigeria 
A journalist in a breakout group discusses practical challenges faced when reporting on climate change 