Nairobi — Today's world is confronted with an unprecedented array of environmental, social, and economic challenges, that affect not only our local communities but also the global community.
As we grapple with these complex issues, there is a growing recognition of the vital role that journalism plays in shaping our collective understanding of the world. It is important for journalism to provide accurate and insightful coverage, this has never been more critical.
Sustainable journalism is a powerful tool that can drive positive change in society and the environment.
It is not just about reporting the news accurately, but also about promoting social and environmental justice. In this era of fake news and disinformation, sustainable journalism involves the production and dissemination of news and information that is not only accurate, informative, and engaging but also socially and environmentally responsible.
"The concept of sustainable journalism emphasises the interconnectedness of various crises, highlighting the need for a form of journalism that confronts the sustainability issues confronting our society, including economic, ecological, and social challenges. In order for journalism to have a sustainable future as a profession and a business, it must address these challenges effectively," according to Lars Tallert, the founder and president of the Sustainable Journalism Partnership.
Media companies need to develop strategies that answer to the need to improve the economic sustainability and viability of the media while at the same time improving journalism's contribution to a sustainable society, Tallert explains ahead of the Sustainable Journalism in Practice Conference.
"The aim of this conference is providing an informal and open environment where we jointly can share experiences and inspire each other and find innovative answers to these challenges. The crises and opportunities facing society and journalism are one and the same."
The conference has begun at the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC), and is being hosted by Aga Khan with Fojo Media Institute and Wits Centre for Journalism.
Dr. Dinesh Balliah, director of the Wits Centre for Journalism (WCJ), explained the importance of sustainable journalism, and how it can promote social and environmental justice. She also highlighted the benefits that sustainable journalism can bring to both society and the environment.
Sustainable journalism is not just about financial or environmental sustainability, but rather an integration of various concepts into the practice of journalism itself. She said when you mention the word sustainability, most people default to financial sustainability or environmental sustainability, she said.
"However, the concept of sustainable journalism is to promote sustainable thinking, and set an agenda for it through the work of journalists, media houses, and practitioners. By harmonising different aspects of sustainability, sustainable journalism can contribute to the public debate, push discussions forward, and shape people's thinking about sustainability in their daily lives. Ultimately, sustainable journalism can make a positive impact on society by bringing together environmentalism, financial sustainability, and other related concepts," Balliah said.
Media companies and journalists have a critical role to play in promoting sustainable journalism, the WCJ director said. Advocating for sustainable thinking and practices, media companies and journalists can help advance social and environmental justice, raise awareness about sustainable initiatives, and encourage more responsible and sustainable behaviours in society.
"Sustainable journalism is not just a practice, but also an ideology and a way of thinking that can influence the way reporters approach their work. For instance, even an entertainment reporter can apply sustainable journalism by considering issues such as gender representation in the media and the use of sustainable materials in productions. Journalists can also examine the impact of their work on the environment, such as whether they are contributing to plastic waste," Balliah said.
"So really, the concept of sustainable journalism is meant to impact how journalists are doing their work and how they're considering certain issues in society. So that the sustainability concept filters through their everyday work."
Sustainable journalism has many benefits for both society and the environment such as promoting awareness and understanding of important issues and contributing to informed public debate. Balliah elaborated on the ways in which sustainable journalism can promote social and environmental justice, as well as the benefits that it can bring to both society and the environment.
She said that "journalists are key contributors to public discourse and sustainable journalism expects them to bring a new dimension to these discussions that people may not have considered before." She added, "rather than thinking about sustainability in silos, such as financial or environmental aspects, sustainable journalism aims to make these concepts relevant and understandable to the everyday person, in order to have a real impact on our future trajectory."
Balliah also addressed the challenge of fake news and misinformation, discussing how to tackle this pressing issue. The problem of fake news and misinformation is a major challenge in today's society. Addressing this problem requires a multi-faceted approach, including media literacy education for the public, fact-checking, and verification by journalists and media organizations, and responsible use of social media platforms. It is also important for policymakers to support and fund independent journalism and to promote ethical standards in reporting.
Balliah explained that "the issue of fake news and misinformation is not likely to disappear, especially with the development of AI and AI-generated information. However, the focus should be on ensuring that there is a substantial amount of reliable and trustworthy information available. Sustainable journalism plays a crucial role in promoting social justice and establishing itself as a credible source of information that can be quoted and shared."
Balliah discussed the specific goals and intended outcomes of organising the sustainable conference, as well as the methods for measuring its success.
"I think the key measurement point is really if we can learn as a group who are assembling in Nairobi in a few days, and discuss what it is that's being done on the continent at the moment, and what it is that we can achieve".
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"The main goal of the sustainable conference is to learn what is being done on the African continent and make a commitment to sustainable journalism. Success will be measured by examining the actual reporting of bloggers, podcasters, writers, visual journalists, and multimedia journalists to see what has shifted in their work since the conference and what new elements related to sustainability have been incorporated."
Balliah also addressed the issue of ways can journalists improve their gender reporting.
She said that "improving gender reporting requires awareness of power structures and fact-based reporting. It is important to use statistics appropriately and reflect on the words used in sustainable journalism. The word 'sustainability' often overlooks the gender aspect, which is unsustainable for societies that focus on a male perspective of work. Changing these narratives requires constant reflection".
"Words have enormous power in society. And even with sustainable journalism, we need to reflect on the words we're using and unpack some of the things that people may understand one way but not be able to unpack. It is unsustainable for us to continue to focus on a male workforce when women are the primary breadwinners and caretakers of homes. It's about changing those narratives through constant reflection," Balliah said.
- allAfrica's reporting on Sustainable Journalism is supported by the Fojo Media Institute
