As the world gears up for the upcoming COP28 in Dubai, climate journalists gathered for a community hangout featuring former Climate Tracker fellows who provided valuable insights on covering the annual climate summit.
WATCH THE COMMUNITY HANGOUT BELOW:
Indian journalist Stuti Mishra, Singaporean journalist Cheryl Tan, and Indonesian researcher Anthony Iswara joined a virtual hangout session organized by Climate Tracker on July 13 to help Asian journalists interested in covering COP28 ace their applications.
Mishra, who covered COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, said that journalists reporting on climate change should attend climate conferences because these meetings give a glimpse of where the world is heading.
“I think anybody who joins a COP will definitely get a very, very important experience of their life. That’s definitely going to help them write better on climate and be a better journalist in general,” Mishra said.
READ: FAQs: Everything you need to know about our COP28 Fellowship
Iswara, who covered COP26 in Glasgow, stressed that attending climate talks offers a unique opportunity to engage with influential figures, and “share stories of your local communities at a global scale, or share stories at your home.”
For Tan, covering COP27 allowed her to understand the energy needs of Southeast Asia beyond just her home country Singapore.
Tan also advised journalists to have a broad theme to monitor throughout the event and tweak story pitches based on the developments that unfold during the summit.
The three journalists emphasized the significance of the training they received as Climate Tracker fellows.
“I was feeling very confident in terms of being able to analyze what the outcomes will be, and how it’s going to impact India, Pakistan and Bangladesh,” Mishra said.
Climate Tracker will bring journalists from Asia with at least three years of reporting experience to cover COP28 in Dubai. We will cover the full cost of travel and accommodation, and provide a stipend. Climate Tracker will also award virtual fellowship opportunities.
Iswara said that a lengthy curriculum vitae or extensive experience do not matter a lot when submitting applications. He emphasized that distinguishing oneself is essential in securing a fellowship.
“I distinguished myself as a data journalist in the climate sphere, which turns out not many people are doing, especially in my region,” he said.
Mishra also offered tips: “As long as you have some experience and you have a very clear motive about what you want to be getting out of that conference, that’s going to make it pretty easy.”
Journalists who want to cover COP28 have until August 4 to submit their applications.
For more information about Climate Tracker’s COP28 opportunity:
