10 emerging European journalists receive support to report on climate change

News

15-17 February 2023 - Free Press Unlimited organised a Workshop on Climate Journalism as part of its 2023 Climate Journalism Fellowship. This Fellowship supports 10 journalists from across the EU to increase their confidence, capacity and collaborative network to improve their reporting on climate change.

The training, followed by a coaching trajectory, will enable journalists to better inform their local and European audiences by creating stories that go beyond highlighting the problem and come with constructive solutions. Stories which can be meaningful to local communities and decision makers.

Climate workshop in Amsterdam

A 3-day workshop took place in The Netherlands, with in-depth sessions for 10 journalists. The workshop balanced both thematic sessions and expert panelists each morning, as well as skills-based collaborative sessions in the afternoons. The various modules handled topics like accessing and interpreting relevant data, using this to tell locally-relevant stories and hold elected officials accountable for climate action. But also on building relationships with scientists, and on innovative climate storytelling formats.

During the workshop, the 10 fellows also went on a field trip to Rotterdam to explore how the city manages water. Here, they visited the Keringhuis Publiekscentrum.

The visit gave the fellows a deeper understanding of the critical role that water plays in the Earth's ecosystems, and how climate change is affecting it. It also helped them understand the magnitude of these kind of projects and what knowledge is needed to effectively communicate complex scientific information related to water and climate change to the public. This specific excursion was chosen because it shows which problems the Netherlands are facing, and how other countries might use their expertise to cope with floods. The fellows were also introduced to relevant scientific publications and reports on the latest research in the field related to water and climate change in the Netherlands.

Coaching and mentoring fellows

A two month mentoring journey will follow after the workshop in which each fellow will produce two articles related to climate change, and receive help with the publication and dissemination. The fellows will also be coached on pitching story ideas for collaborative climate stories. In total five pitches will be awarded with a small grant.

Trainer and coaches during the fellowship:

“Climate change is a pressing global issue that has become a defining element of European life. No matter what your focus is as a journalist, climate change either already does or should play a key role in your reporting. That’s why it's critical for any young journalist nowadays to build a solid understanding of the topic and its implications for politics and policy.

But understanding where to begin on this journey can be difficult. Local newsrooms often lack in-house training and thematic knowledge support. This is why I founded Climate Tracker. Our mission is to support journalists to understand climate change, and to gain the confidence they need to develop powerful stories for their audiences.” - Chris Wright, Founder and Managing Director, Climate Tracker

"I am excited to be part of the climate fellowship, where I will have the opportunity to share my experiences and insights with others. I hope to inspire more journalists and media organizations to focus on environmental reporting and to produce impactful stories that raise awareness of the critical issues facing our planet." - Anass Bendrif, media expert, trainer and consultant focused on climate investigations and environmental reporting.

Testimonials:

“It was a very pleasant experience to spend these few days with you and big thanks to the organizers for their splendid work! And to Chris in particular for keeping our workshops both informal and funny and professional and informative at the same time - the ultimate combo! I am looking forward to the next step and also to collaborate with some of you.” (Czech fellow)

“Just made my way back to Milan. Thanks again to FPU and the trainers for these insightful and playful days. They were intriguing and entertaining. Looking forward to what comes next!” (Italian fellow)

Other experts and speakers that participate in the FPU 2023 Climate Journalism Fellowship:

Nicolas Berghmans: Lead European affairs and energy and climate expert at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations(IDDRI).
Meri Pukinaren & Hubert Thieriot from the Centre for Research on Energy and CleanAir (CREA).
Sarah Brown & Dr. Pawel Czyzak from independent energy think tank Ember.
Dr. Grace Mbungu: Senior Fellow and Head of Climate Change Program at African Policy and Research Institute (APRI).
Marta Montojo: one of Spain’s up-and-coming climate journalists, now reporting on climate for EFE, the national broadcaster.
Dr. Izidine Pinto: researcher at Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
Mohammed Chahim: Member of the European Parliament for the Dutch labour party since 2019, and the rapporteur for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Tais Gadea Lara: one of the leading international climate journalists in the world, especially in Spanish language reporting.

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The Fellowship is one of the main activities within the European Excellence Exchange in Journalism (E3J) project that runs from 1 April 2022 till 30 March 2024. Partners are: RSF, FPU, Copeam, CMFE and COMMIT.

This project is part of the Creative Europe Programme (CREA, NEWS-Journalism partnerships).

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Funded by the EU