Nairobi, Kenya — "Climate change receives inadequate media coverage and is typically only reported following conferences, events, or disasters," journalism lecturer Enoch Sithole observed during the release of his climate journalism study in Nairobi, Kenya.
Sithole, who also spent the past 18 months researching climate journalism for his doctoral thesis, said that South Africa's media coverage, in general, tends to focus on controversies, as this is what editors believe sells. Sithole, who is based at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said the pursuit of sustainable development is crucial for society and that journalism plays a vital role in informing the public and framing the issues that affect it.
The research paper, commissioned by Fojo Media Institute, was released at the Sustainable Journalism Conference in Nairobi.
South Africa is one of the most vulnerable countries when it comes to the impact of the climate emergency, according to Sithole, even though the country made commitments to address the crisis. "One of the key findings of this study is that climate change reporting is dominated by coverage of events such as conferences and climate disasters. The focus is not on policy issues, addressing business matters related to climate change, or publications that are specifically aimed at the subject.
"Furthermore, journalists and researchers have not adequately addressed this issue, and there is a lack of academic research on communicating climate change. The study found that important stakeholders such as policymakers, the government, and the business sector have insufficient communication regarding the climate crisis, and the issue doesn't receive much-deserved attention."
The study shows that a "significant amount" of reports on the climate emergency are drawn from foreign newspapers.
"This suggests that climate change reporting is often reactive and limited to sensational events, rather than focusing on the day-to-day impact of climate change or breaking news that is not on the front page. If we do not provide free access to information about climate change, the victims of climate change will be left unaware and unprepared for impending disasters," Sithole said.
Significant Similarities from Kenya and South Africa
According to climate emergency reporter Zeynab Wandati, the Kenyan climate change reporting scenario is remarkably similar to that of South Africa, and her perspective aligned with the climate journalism research findings. The Nation journalist said there was a clear need for more collaboration and information sharing among journalists in the region to effectively report on this pressing issue and bring about meaningful change.
"Climate-related stories are only covered when they have a sensational angle, like drought-induced deaths or flooding. At the editorial level ... it is often challenging to convince editors to continue covering the topic once it loses its newsworthiness. For example, a reporter wrote a story about the Cyclone Freddy phenomenon and its implications for Malawians, but it was not published by their media house. Instead, an international media house covered a similar story and their media house picked it up the following day when the details were already outdated," she said during a panel discussion at the Sustainable Journalism conference in Nairobi.
Wandati also said newsrooms often have a narrow focus on political reporting, which results in a lack of attention towards the climate crisis, despite its impact on various aspects of our lives, including politics.
"To combat this, we are working towards educating and sensitizing people on how to frame climate change stories in a way that appeals to a wider audience. We are engaging editors to encourage political stories around climate change and broadening their understanding that politics encompasses more than just politicians. Another thing we're working on is a vertical that will churn out exclusive climate content, ... and hopefully other media will be able to follow suit."
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But the media also faces a complex challenge in balancing economic viability and the promotion of sustainability through journalism. On the one hand, media outlets need to generate revenue in order to remain financially stable and continue producing content, while on the other hand, the media plays a critical role in informing the public about environmental and sustainability issues and advocating for sustainable practices.
The study, which included contributions from policymakers, the private sector, the media, climate scientists and academics, and civil society, revealed that putting essential information on climate change behind paywalls can have adverse effects, particularly for older individuals who cannot afford it.
"It is essential to remove paywalls and make information on climate change accessible to all. Without free access to such information, those most affected by climate change may remain unaware and ill-equipped to face impending disasters," Sithole said.
