Climate change in Africa: A guidebook for journalists

| October 15, 2018

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African journalists report on climate change daily as they report on public policy, agricultural production, health concerns, natural disasters, and a variety of other issues. Climate change is affecting every aspect of life, and journalists play a critical role in explaining the causes and effects of climate change.

“Climate change adaptation” is a popular term, but in order to adapt to changing conditions, farmers need to understand these changes and what their options are, as well as how government, companies, and civil society can support them.

In 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published Climate change in Africa: A guidebook for journalists. This book seeks to help journalists tell the story of climate change.

The authors of the guide represent organizations that have trained hundreds of journalists around the world to report more effectively on climate change. They consulted 44 journalists from 17 African countries and 38 climate change specialists, who provided their insights into what was missing from African media coverage and how this book could help fill those gaps.

The book contains five sections:

  1. The essentials: What journalists need to know; vulnerability and resilience; gender dimensions
  2. The problem in-depth: Why; what are the problems; how does it affect farming, health, conflict, migration
  3. Solutions in-depth: Minimizing the effects and adapting to the impacts
  4. Climate change policy and plans
  5. Reporting on climate change

Read the report here: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/climate-change-in-africa-a-guidebook-for-journalists/

For more news about climate change adaptation and resilience, read Zilient.org, a new publication and community of practice for NGOs and others interested in climate change. Zilient often publishes stories from Thomson Reuters Trust and other sources. Read Zilient here: https://www.zilient.org/