GLOBAL ISSUE:An Urge Earth Journalists

Global Issues :-
Environmental Journalism
Climate Change Initiative
Interest in the Earth Journalism Network’s climate change media program has never been hotter. Supported by a recent influx of funding, several new activities are now underway or in the planning stages. There is clearly a growing awareness that empowering local media to provide better coverage is a vital and scalable strategy to grapple with this most global of issues.
Climate Change Media PartnershipHave Fellowship, Will Travel
The fellowship program run by EJN and its partners last year at the Bali Climate Summit proved to be a tremendous success. EJN brought 37 journalists from around the developing world to report on the treaty negotiations and the hundreds of concurrent climate events in Bali, and altogether these fellows produced over 660 stories. In many cases, the Climate Change Fellows we brought to Bali were the only journalists from their country able to attend and report on this important summit.
Thanks in part to generous seed funding from the V. Kann Rassmussen Foundation and the Germeshausen Foundation to EJN, the Climate Change Media Partnership is planning to bring journalism fellows to this year’s summit in Poznan, Poland, and to the crucial 2009 summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, where it is hoped a successor to the Kyoto Protocol will be completed. EJN is actively seeking matching funds to expand this effort.
Third Pole ProjectMelting Glaciers, Overflowing Rivers
EJN has formed a partnership with ChinaDialogue.net to focus on the climate change issues affecting the Himalayan region and downstream countries. The Third Pole Project (3PP) will improve media coverage of the impacts of climate change on the region – most significantly, on the effect of melting glaciers on the major Asian river basins.
3PP will provide training and other forms of support to journalists from Himalayan countries – China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh – and those downstream in the Mekong region – Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Burma. These journalists will in turn provide stories not only to their home organizations but also to a website that will translate the stories into English and Chinese, and other local languages if funds permit.
Environmental Journalism WorkshopsChinese and Filipino Journalists On the Green Beat
EJN’s most recent training activities include a journalism training workshop on climate change organized by Internews Network in China and supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Held in Guangzhou for southern Chinese journalists, the workshop included a field trip to the Nansha Wetlands where mangrove reforestation is taking place. EJN also partnered with the Philippines Science Journalists Association to develop the curriculum for a Manila-based regional training workshop.
Projects in DevelopmentGeo-Blogging on Deforestation and Climate Change Training
The first priority for new funding is to provide fellowships that will enable developing country journalists to participate in the Poznan and Copenhagen summits.
With additional funding, EJN would be able to work with local partners to develop more country programs, including:
Vietnam – in addition to capacity- and network-building for journalists, EJN and its partners have targeted two coastal provinces where it would like to work with local communities and media to develop information materials to help them adapt to climate change;
Brazil – Internews is working with O Eco to develop a geo-blogging project that will map and provide in-depth reports on deforestation and forest fires;
Indonesia – the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists would like to build a domestic fellowship program that would improve climate change coverage in key regions;
Peru – EJN and the Peruvian Provincial Journalists association are keen to create a climate change training program that includes regional workshops and web-based media development;
China and Vietnam – EJN is seeking funds for training of trainers programs, enabling local journalists to carry on and expand our work of training and mentoring reporters in covering environmental issues.

The Earth Journalism Network is increasingly developing a global reach and membership. Once this community of local media professionals attains the skills and knowledge to turn this global issue into compelling and scientifically accurate local stories, it has the power to motivate citizens and policy-makers to address these environmental challenges.

"The story of our environment may well be the most important story of the coming century."
Eric Newton, Vice-President, Journalism Program, Knight Foundation
· Earth Journalism Network
· Climate Change Initiative
· Climate Change Media Partnership
· Indonesia
· Thailand
· China
· Vietnam and Cambodia
· Regional Asia and the Mekong Delta
· Mexico
· Sponsors and Partners
· Links
· Flyers about the Earth Journalism Network and its projects
· Articles on Illicit Wildlife Trading in Southeast Asia
· At the Bali Climate Summit, Developing Country Journalists Blog and Broadcast
· Helping Asia Become Sustainable,

Environment in Asia Series, June 11, 2007 Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City
"Environmental journalists in Indonesia and other developing countries are often quite isolated. They operate with few resources and face enormous pressures from vested interests, from advertisers, even from their own editors. So professional organizations like the SIEJ can provide crucial technical, financial and moral support."
James Fahn, Executive Director Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN)

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