Deadline: 10 November 2019
CFI has launched the Dunia: Journalism and the climate emergency Project with an aim of helping to increase the coverage of the issues and consequences of climate change in East Africa via the media.
The climate emergency is currently one of the most important global issues. And Africa is the continent that is most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Local media have a key role to play in the response to climate change. They have a responsibility to inform the general public of its causes, relay existing solutions and adaptation opportunities as well as to monitor public policies implemented at local, national and international level.
This project will be implemented by CFI, the French media development agency, which actively promotes the development of the media in Africa, the Arab world and South-East Asia. The project is part of CFI’s Media & Development programme, which seeks to encourage media organisations in the Global South to take up development issues, by strengthening the relationship of trust between journalists and civil society.
CFI was founded in 1989 by the Ministry of Cooperation with a ‘cultural assistance mission’: to supply overseas television stations with French television programmes free of charge.
Objectives
The main project objectives are:
- To strengthen the role of the media as tools for monitoring, raising awareness, and engaging in issues associated with climate change and its impacts at both national and international level;
- To encourage collaboration, multi-stakeholders dialogue and cooperation between the media and the scientific community, institutional decision-makers, and representatives of civil society in order to considerably increase the number of articles addressing the issue of climate in a more professional and applicable way;
- To support the media in covering climate change in a way that is both more original and generates less fear, by promoting prospects of solutions and adaptation closely linked to the concerns of local populations and by considering the gender-related impacts s of climate change.
Synthetic Content of the Programme
- To achieve these results, the project offers various activities:
- One opening and initial consultation seminar with the aim of reflecting on the space devoted to climate change coverage in the media and better understanding the priority climate issues in the three target countries.
- One editorial management session to encourage editorial managers to assign more value to climate change in their programme schedules and editorial agenda.
- Two training sessions on investigative journalism covering climate topics.
- Seven debate and brainstorming workshops in each country. They will allow various stakeholders to come together and share knowledge and understand the work and areas of expertise of the various actors of the field (scientific, civil society, associations, collectives, etc.).
- Two training/activity sessions on-site in each country Training/activity sessions combining a theoretical session on a specific problem and a field visit will be planned, bringing together journalists, researchers and other relevant actors.
- One awareness-raising and training session on solution journalism.
- One competition for the best investigative reporting and solution-oriented reporting developed during the project.
- The project will also offer the following remote activities:
- One remote online training session focusing on the concepts of climate change
- Remote mentoring for developing investigative reporting for developing solution-oriented media content
Anticipated Outcomes
By offering support for a period of 18 months, the DUNIA project aims to achieve the following results:
- The media outlets master and take ownership of concepts associated with climate change and its many dimensions (environmental, social, political, climate justice and finance, health, etc.): climate coverage is enhanced, both quantitatively and qualitatively, within editorial boards offices and in the editorial policy of each media outlet.
- The media outlets are in a position to carry out surveys on environmental topics and create spaces for dialogue with governmental authorities on fundamental issues, in particular regarding political commitments to climate governance.
- The media outlets work with the scientific community, institutional actors and civil society to report on the causes of climate change and how it affects the most vulnerable populations.
- The media are able to cover subjects associated with adaptation to climate change and give visibility to innovative and constructive local solutions.
Project Support
- All the beneficiary journalists will be fully covered for any costs incurred in attending the training sessions (international transport, accommodation, meals, on-site transport).
Eligibility Criteria
The selected media outlets must:
- Be a non-political radio, TV, print or online media outlet, a freelance journalist or blogger with proof of at least two years of existence;
- Be based in one of the three target countries: Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda;
- Be aware of environmental issues;
- Be open to a collective work dynamic;
- Commit that at least one female journalist from among its staff will be participating in the training activities;
- Have a good level oral understanding and writing in English (training sessions will be held in English);
- Be capable of working at full capacity in an academic and professional environment;
- Undertake to participate full-time in all training sessions;
- Undertake to create multiple reports to be published by the media outlet for which the journalist works and on the CFI project platform.
Assessment Criteria
The application assessment criteria will focus on:
- The media outlet’s general motivation for participating in this project;
- The media outlet’s experience in journalistic coverage of global warming issues;
- The media outlet’s level of development and structure;
- The willingness to include subjects associated with climate change in their editorial agenda, both in terms of improved quality and quantity;
- The presence of female journalists and the willingness to develop their skills on climate-related topics.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
Eligible Countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda
For more information, please visit https://www.cfi.fr/en/news/dunia-journalism-and-climate-emergency