Climate Change for Journalists - Workshop: Covering Climate Change for Journalists
Climate Change for Journalists - Workshop: Covering Climate Change for Journalists
Promoter: Science Retreats
Partners:The Norwegian Institute of Journalism / Norway
EEA Grants: 15 000,00
Grace Code: PT-BI009
Programme:- News | Journalists from Portugal and Norway joined in Évora to discuss climate change
- Video | Workshop: Covering Climate Change for Journalists
What did this initiative focus on?
Journalists from Portugal and Norway joined in Évora to discuss climate change
Fourteen journalists from Norway and Portugal gathered at Science Retreats, in Évora, for the week long course Covering Climate Change: a Workshop for Journalists, on February 10-14.
This training programme stemmed from early discussions between environmental journalist Ricardo Garcia and climate scientist Miguel Araújo on a possible initiative to foster a broader understanding of climate change among journalists and to help them improve their reporting. The EEA Grants Bilateral Relations programme provided the opportunity to develop this initial idea into an international training workshop involving journalists from Norway and Portugal.
The Norwegian partner was the Institutt for Journalistikk (IJ), a well established Norwegian organization that acts as a focal point for journalism training in the country. The IJ was responsible for advertising the workshop among possible candidates and to select the final participants from Norway.
There was a very good response after announced the workshop, in early October. A total of 48 eligible applications were received – almost three times the number of positions for the course. There were 26 applicants from Portugal and 22 from Norway.
It was decided to select seven journalists from each country, aiming for a varied mix of professionals from the print media, radio, TV and news agencies, ranging from less to more experienced both in journalism and climate change.
The workshop followed a tailor made scheduled developed for this particular group. It mostly comprised of hands-on activities on different subjects related to climate change. Participants discussed climate science, politics and diplomacy; greenhouse gases emissions, carbon trading and energy transition; oceans, forests and biodiversity; hidden stories, journalism skills and other aspects of their profession. A great deal of attention was given to data sources on climate change, with participants eagerly exploring different datasets with detailed information on different subjects. Lectures by six top specialists in climate related fields complemented the hands-on activities.
The programme also included a field visit to Herdade dos Coelheiros farm, where participants had the chance to see examples of climate change adaptation strategies in agriculture – particularly in wine and walnut production.
Participants provided a positive feedback on the importance of the knowledge acquired during the course, on the range of subjects covered in the workshop and on the amount and depth of information received.
The EEA Grants support for this workshop was fundamental for its achievements. Bringing together seven journalists from Norway and seven from Portugal to discuss climate change in a relaxed atmosphere in Évora was an unprecedented networking opportunity for all of them, including the organizers. The course worked as a bridge between media professionals of both countries, putting their knowledge and practice in contact.
A lasting bond was also created with the Institutt for Journalistikk, which has already shown interest in new joint initiatives to further develop bilateral relations.