Kenya: The Africa Editors Climate Forum hosted by the Kenyan Editors Guild kicks off today in Nairobi.
The two-day conference, which takes place from 19-20 June 2023, will be the first convening of a forum of this kind with the hosts seeking to bring together environmental editors and journalists from all around Africa to discuss ways to enhance the coverage of climate change issues on the continent.
Elvis Maramba, an experienced journalist and one of the organisers of the event said: “since the conference is bringing together top climate editorial minds across Africa, I hope to learn and explore their perspectives on how the African climate voice can be amplified.”
Delegates will be discussing the current state of climate change reporting in Africa, the challenges that newsrooms face, sharing experiences, exploring new opportunities and creative approaches to climate reporting, in collaboration with invited experts and researchers within the climate and sustainability sectors.
The Kenya Editors Guild said in a statement that “a recent review of how Africa is covered in climate news shows there is a need to elevate Africa’s voice and perspectives in the media as part of driving climate action on the continent.”
Given that editors and journalists who cover the environment and sustainability beats play a crucial role in determining what goes into the news and how it is framed, there is a need to address and find solutions to the challenges they face.
“It is against this background that the Kenya Editors Guild and its partners bring experienced minds together to strengthen climate change coverage and storytelling in Africa,” the Guild concluded.
Three South African editors and journalists were selected and funded by the Global Strategic Communications Council to attend and contribute unique inputs and experience at the forum.
Ozayr Patel, environmental editor said that he is “hoping to learn what other African communities are covering in terms of environment and sustainability and how they go about trying to report on climate change.”
“It would also be interesting to learn what challenges climate change has in different regions, the difficulties that come with it and solutions our fellow Africans are implementing,” Patel said.
Julia Evans, climate and biodiversity journalist said that “historically, Africa has contributed the least to global warming, but is bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change"
"Yet climate reporting has a long way to go - we urgently need better adaptation measures put in place by our governments and private sector, and we need to hold corporations and government accountable for pushing for further fossil fuel expansion at the benefit of a few at the top and the detriment to the majority.”
"This forum is extremely important as it will allow African journalists the opportunity to collaborate on how we can better hold those on top accountable and inform the public about how urgent the climate crisis is," Evans concluded.
Environment