In June, I traveled to Bonn, Germany to participate in the Global Media Forum hosted by public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The annual event brought together over a thousand journalists from across the globale to share best practices and solutions for navigating the challenges facing journalism today. I was eager to learn and contribute my own experiences as a reporter specializing in climate change and environment.

As the world grapples with the climate crisis, strong and sustained climate reporting has become more critical than ever. However, attacks on journalists, conflicts, misinformation, and censorship hinder thorough and critical coverage of climate and environmental issues. As a result, this leaves the public less informed and hinders potential solutions. This should not be the case as we face the greatest existential threat of our generation.

From left to right: DW’s Head of Environment Vanessa Fischer, Filipino journalist Gaea Katreena Cabico, Human Rights Networks for Journalists-Uganda National Coordinator Robert Ssempala, and Internews Europe Research Manager Isabelle Schlapfer. (Robert Ssempala)

On the panel titled “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis” organized by UNESCO, I participated in a discussion with DW’s Head of Environment Vanessa Fischer, Internews Europe Research Manager Isabelle Schlapfer, and Human Rights Networks for Journalists-Uganda National Coordinator Robert Ssempala. We talked about the threats faced by journalists reporting on climate and environmental issues, along with the impact of self-censorship on journalism quality.

A key finding from the Internews report on climate change journalism titled “Covering the Planet” revealed that 39% of journalists experience threats due to their work, either sometimes or frequently. The same percentage reported feeling the need to self-censor when covering climate and environment-related issues to ensure their safety and protect their sources.

Defending press freedom is essential, and it goes hand-in-hand with protecting environmental defenders. While journalists face threats and harassment, our sources, who are often activists, community leaders, and indigenous groups, are frequently on the frontlines directly confronting powerful entities. When we lose access to reliable sources, our ability to effectively report on issues is significantly hampered.

German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock speaks at the Global Media Forum 2024. (Gaea Katreena Cabico)

“Sharing Solutions” was the theme of this year’s GMF. In line with that, we also discussed measures to ensure journalist safety and improve their capacity to report on climate change and the environment. Increased funding and in-person training are, of course, crucial for producing high-quality journalism.

Additionally, encouraging and supporting journalists to specialize in climate journalism or integrate climate change in their reporting is necessary as the crisis affects every aspect of our lives.

Collaborative investigations involving journalists from different regions and countries, along with reaching audiences on platforms like TikTok, were identified as further solutions.