GPU, IFJ hold training on climate change reporting

Journalists in The Gambia have teamed up with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to boost climate change reporting.

Credits: Markus Spiske, Unsplash

GPU, IFJ hold training on climate change reporting

Journalists in The Gambia have teamed up with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to boost climate change reporting.

The Gambia Press Union (GPU) in collaboration with the IFJ organised the two – day online workshop on 1 – 2 July. 

The training course, organised as part of the IFJ’s Union to Union-funded project, brought together 22 journalists from newspapers, radio and television as well as online media.

The lead trainers at the training programme, Tijani Bojang from the Meteorological Department of The Gambia and Aruna Jobe a consultant at the National Environment Agency (NEA) led participants through an understanding of climate change concepts as well as the causes of climate change.  The issue of mitigation and adaptation dominated the discussions while issues concerning the international conventions on climate change that the Gambia Government has ratified were also discussed.

Aruna Jobe highlighted the fact that a country like The Gambia, which depends a lot on agriculture, faces huge challenges with regards to climate change due to inadequate rainfalls resulting in lower yields.

Tijani Bojang said that the Gambia Government has a very comprehensive climate change policy, however, he noted that despite this, implementation is a huge challenge. Bojang urged journalists to follow the climate change money in order to hold governments accountable.

Demba Kande from the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC) drilled participants through the techniques of writing a good climate change report. He highlighted the need for robust research and that reporting must be people-centred rather than just focusing on the damaging impact which can help to create fear among audiences and put them off the story. He encouraged the participants to take up the challenge to publish more climate change stories.

For more Information, please contact the IFJ - Africa Office

1st Floor, Maison de la Presse, 5 Rue X Corniche, Medina,

BP 64257, Dakar, Senegal

Tel: +221- 33 867 95 86/87; Fax: +221- 33 827 02