Free Press Unlimited FPU organised a webinar On 17 May 2021 about climate journalism and its impact on resilience, peace and stability in Iraq. Journalists, consultants and media outlets from all over Iraq were present to discuss this topic.
FPU is partner of the Planetary Security Initiative (PSI) consortium. The consortium works together with Iraqi journalists and media outlets to create innovative media productions on the impact of climate change in the area. Focus points werethe effect on water levels and the emergence of conflict. These productions are not just pointing out the problems, but are based on finding solutions and engaging with both local communities affected by climate change and decision makers.
Boris van Westering, Senior Program Coordinator at FPU and moderator of the session said, “In a region where war and conflict dominate the daily headlines, its almost a luxury for journalists to explore coverage about the most pressing social issues of our time, climate change.”
“In a region where war and conflict dominate the daily headlines, its almost a luxury for journalists to explore coverage about the most pressing social issues of our time, climate change.”
The webinar was opened by Khaled Sulaiman, journalist and FPU consultant. Sulaiman sees there is a new generation of journalists in Iraq, who see the importance to work on the topic of climate change. “The question is: how can we, as journalists, receive information about climate change and then convey this information to society?" Sulaiman said.
"The challenge is to translate complex academic data and statistics about climate change into a human story which also gives solutions on how people can deal with it. This is our biggest challenge that we try to overcome with the PSI Journalism production fellowship of FPU.”
The webinar explored three different topics that journalists need to take into account when engaging with the climate story:
Why should journalists in Iraq look into the data and research related to climate change?
How are local communities affected by climate change and what can they expect from journalists?
How should media owners and publishers take on climate stories and make time for journalists to investigate and develop professional skills in this area?
we are in need of clear editorial policies or guidelines on how to cover stories related to climate change, and its effect on local communities
“Something we need to consider is that in Iraq the media outlets are highly politicised and the Iraqi population often sees the media as their enemy," said Salam Omer, Editor in Chief of KirkukNow, Iraq.
"To turn the tide and give guidance to the media outlets, we are in need of clear editorial policies or guidelines on how to cover stories related to climate change, and its effect on local communities. Training and preparing journalists in how to publish stories about climate change, and how to get access to reliable data in support of these stories, is also needed.”
The webinar put forward how important it is for journalists to understand scientific data and statistics, and translate this data into a human journalistic story combined with solutions. Editors in chief are crucial in making sure that stories related to climate change get enough space on the media platforms. In their stories, journalists should empower local voices and vulnerable communities. Besides that, cross boarder collaborations between networks of journalists dedicated to the topic of climate change need to be stimulated, as climate change does not have boarders.
https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/current/exploring-added-value-climate-journalism-iraqi-society
