Funded by Mondiaal FNV, the activity formed part of broader continental efforts to strengthen the role of journalist unions in responding to the growing impact of climate change on societies, economies, and the world of work. It also directly contributed to the implementation of FAJ's Abidjan Declaration and Action Plan. The training brought together working journalists from different media outlets to deepen their understanding of the gravity of climate change, the meaning and principles of just transitions, and their implications for livelihoods, public services, social cohesion, and democratic accountability.
Participants examined how climate impacts intersect with employment, workers' rights, food security, migration, security and inequality, and why these interconnected challenges require sustained, informed and responsible media coverage. The discussions highlighted that climate reporting must go beyond episodic coverage of disasters and instead support a long-term public understanding of policy choices, economic transitions, and their consequences for workers and communities.
A central focus of the two days was strengthening practical reporting skills on just transition and its core principles. Supported by expert facilitators, journalists worked on interpreting climate data, national and international climate policies and transition frameworks, translating technical information into clear public-interest journalism, and countering disinformation and misinformation that often distort climate debates. Strong emphasis was placed on ethical, accurate, and gender-responsive reporting, as well as ensuring that coverage reflects the lived experiences of workers, women, young people, and communities most exposed to climate risks and most affected by transition processes.
The activity also highlighted the responsibility of journalism in preserving information integrity and public trust. Participants explored how climate policies and economic transitions affect jobs, working conditions, social protection and labour relations, and how journalists can report on these changes through solution-oriented journalism that promotes accountability, transparency and informed public debate while defending information integrity.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Speaking during the workshop, the President of the Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT), Zied Dabbar, said, "Climate change is already reshaping daily life and work in Tunisia. Journalists must be equipped to report these realities with clarity, responsibility and independence. This activity has strengthened our collective capacity at the national level to cover climate issues, and in particular just transition, in a way that serves the public interest and defends professional journalism so that people in Tunisia receive accurate and reliable information to navigate the changes driven by climate impacts."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The President of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), Omar Faruk Osman, stressed the broader continental relevance of the initiative, stating, "We are advancing a continental effort to promote just transition as a fair response to the climate crisis, and journalists are at the forefront of this work. This activity reflects our commitment, as set out in the Abidjan Action Plan, to supporting our affiliated journalists' unions in building strong, labour-focused climate reporting. Across Africa, journalists face similar newsroom limitations, professional risks and external pressures. By investing in skills, solidarity and collective leadership, we strengthen journalism's role in advancing social justice, climate justice, and fair transition pathways."
The IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, underlined the importance of global solidarity and the IFJ's vision on climate justice, noting, "Climate change is a defining challenge for journalism worldwide. Supporting journalists through their unions is essential to ensuring accurate reporting, accountability, and public trust with a clear and explicit focus on just transition. This initiative in Tunis, carried out with our Pan-African federation, demonstrates how national, continental and international cooperation can translate shared commitments into concrete support for journalists on the ground who are determined to advance climate justice and information integrity."
FAJ, IFJ, and SNJT reiterated their collective commitment to intensified action and continued cooperation, expressing appreciation to Mondiaal FNV for its support in strengthening climate journalism, just transition reporting, and climate justice advocacy in Tunisia and across the African continent.
