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Why media must give adequate attention to climate journalism —Expert

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2 years ago

A media practitioner and Executive Director, Climate Africa Media Initiative and Centre (CAMIC), Mr Aliu Akoshile, has charged media organisations to give adequate attention to the issue of environment in their reportage, as part of their contributions to environmental sustainability.

Akoshile, who made this charge at a one-day workshop on environmental journalism organised by the Dangote Group in Lagos, stated that the issue of environment remains too significant to be ignored by a critical sector of the economy such as the media.

He noted that despite the fact that environmental issues affect both individuals and businesses, little attention is given to the all-important topic in newsrooms.

The former Daily Times boss, therefore, called on more media practitioners to take up the task of climate reporting so as to bring to the fore some of the climate-induced challenges confronting society.

Akoshile also stressed the need for such practitioners to be ready to be on top of their game since it is an area that requires vast knowledge about happenings in the environments to handle.

“It is unfortunate that in spite of the importance of the issue of climate and the environment, few media organisations actually devote space to climate journalism because it is not as lucrative as some beats in the media. But the issue of climate is something we should all be concerned about since it affects us all,” he stated.

Also stressing the importance of climate reporting, Research Analyst, Africa Check, Mr Allwell Okpi, charged the media to carry out more investigative reports on weather and the environment and their likely impacts on the society.

Okpi, in his paper, titled, ‘Fact Check and Investigative Journalism,’ noted that the social media has however disrupted the media space with many non-professionals posing as media practitioners.

He therefore stressed the need for the practitioners to be thorough in the course of carrying out their works by fact-checking whatever information is in their possession before putting them up for public consumption.

In his remarks, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Dangote Group, Mr Anthony Chiejina, explained that the decision to organise the workshop was to enhance the reportorial skills of practitioners, especially in the area of climate journalism.

Chiejina, who was represented by the Group’s Senior General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr Sunday Esan, expressed the optimism that the outcomes of the workshop would go a long way in giving the issue of the environment the much-needed attention it deserves.

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