As we near World News Day I am reminded of the adage “democracy is local” (Thomas Jefferson all the way back then); the work of journalists in their communities is nothing short of an expression of agency, citizenship and empowerment that are the building blocks of democracy. 

Everyone’s eyes focus on elections, big events and major changes when considering the viability of actions to bring about democracy.

But from where I stand it is the daily hard work of citizenship on the small scale that can eventually build sustainable understanding and commitment to effective, inclusive democracy. And the work of those committed journalists who go to work everyday to report on and for their communities are central to that process.

This is not an easy job. Building, managing and sustaining local, public service journalism capable of playing critical roles in supporting their communities is more often than not a thankless task. Across the world money has dried up as the business of journalism has been threatened by big tech, jobs have been shed, quality has been compromised, resources are fragmented and the value of journalism is constantly contested. 

Closing information spaces is an increasingly high risk. Just look at the past 11 months in Gaza where Israel has killed an unprecedented number of journalists with impunity. The latest count by CPJ documents at least 116 journalists killed in this war.  And it is not just lives we are losing; credibility too.

“Beware if you continue to lie you will grow up to be a CNN journalist” quipped a popular meme in Arabic at the advent of the carnage against Palestinians in Gaza. And there were variations: a BBC journalist, etc. The trust in Western media’s impartiality and standards has been sorely tested and not just in the Arabic-speaking world bringing back the ghosts of post 9/11 coverage, the Iraq War and even coverage of Trump and US elections. 

And it seems that  the very people we aim to serve are also increasingly jaded by mis-information/dis-information campaigns and audience mis-trust and avoidance are daily realities.

Disturbing trends

We know, from our work in the heart of communities and from the disturbing trends that have paralleled the demise of local journalism, that independent journalism is critical in exploring and upholding truth. “It is such a hard job,” confides a journalist as he mopped the sweat off of his brow in a field where he was reporting on farmers’ struggles in Egypt. And yet he stood his ground and because he did his community could find reliable information and make informed decisions about their daily lives. He is not an internationally recognized figure, people rarely know the rank and file. But his work embodies the heart and soul of what journalism is—an act of service.

We have lived firsthand the dangers to democracy posed by losing independent—particularly local—media. We are now confident in the knowledge that the survival of a diverse, proficient media sector is an essential cornerstone in that pursuit of humanity and freedom.

We can have no more doubts with regards to the threat monopolies of big tech companies pose to our profession and can think clearly about the value journalism brings to society and where we need to re-trench and set up boundaries. 

The examples of those grasping this moment are out there: journalist owned media outlets for some, print houses and products for others, community engagement for many—and that is just some of what is being done. 

The rest is up to you: our audiences and communities. Tell us what you need. Support news organizations that are prioritizing good journalism and public service. Make good and informed choices with regards to what media you consume. Because only together can we build a thriving, responsive journalism ecosystem in support of justice and truth.

Fatemah Farag is the founder and director of Welad ElBalad Media Egypt. This article was produced as part of the World News Day campaign to highlight the importance of journalism.

Read more: EJN wins SOPA Award for greenwashing collaborative reporting

The post The journalism of our future appeared first on CoverStory.

More than 600 newsrooms and media associations across all continents join to bring awareness to the purpose of journalism, a trade that is under constant attack.

It’s a day to pause; and reflect on the importance of independent and often brave journalists who make a difference in their communities and country by providing the proof that leads to the truth.

Too often, he or she who shouts loudest on social media seems to be the newsmaker of the day, overshadowing the professional reporters and editors trained and determined to stand behind everything they publish.

Responsible journalism is a tough business when done properly. It necessarily confronts the easy, repetitive, and instant swirl of polemicists and propagandists determined to derail life to fit agendas that are often based on certainty and exclusion. 

Photographing events that happen, reporting out the facts, beginning with incomplete information and building a more complete file over time and ultimately ensuring, in the final edit, that the facts are pried out and placed squarely into the public discourse, is the business of mainstream media. It is inefficient yet is a timeless tradition without parallel. 

Professionals fight back against the hackneyed idea that belonging to the mainstream is somehow inferior to being extreme.

World News Day is a day of awareness, to better explain journalism to the public at large. It is also a moment to provide room for our audiences and highlight how their meeting a journalist improved their life. How, perhaps, finally, they were listened to. Or to reflect on the contributions of a local newspaper to the body politic, or the cost of liberty for a reporter detained for no reason, other than she could be, by those with armies at their disposal.

Amid the growing coarseness of public debate, the pride of independent journalism stands as a source of optimism and belief.

Often at significant personal cost, whistleblowers entrust journalists with secrets. Businesses, politicians and others in power increasingly refuse to meet reporters or explain themselves but that doesn’t mean they are unaccountable. The rot is still exposed by individuals. 

This past year I met a source determined to get the truth out, but the conversations took place in a hot-tub to prove I was not wearing a listening wire, and, on another occasion, in my underwear for the final interview. The story was worth it all, but I couldn’t have known it would be when I started out on the four-month odyssey. That’s the romance of the business that recruits and repays the indefatigable.

Interest groups laden with bias threaten economic punishment—“I’ll cancel my subscription” “we’ll pull our advertising”.  Perhaps next year we list those people who act that way. So far, news organizations take the hit and don’t make it public. But it is all an attempt to interfere with editorial independence and it is wrong.

Attacks on journalists, including murder, run at record highs. Journalism was not created for the messenger to be shot. But, while you can kill the journalist, you can’t kill the story. Others will take it on. Look at journalists in Mexico or Iran if you haven’t received your daily dose of inspiration. The rate of impunity, killing journalists and not being arrested, creeps toward 100% in some countries, but still the stories mount up. 

A great miracle exists in the business of journalism—facts are not suppressible.

And those in need understand it. It is those least in need who fight us most. The powerful terrified their world can’t be entirely controlled. And that’s the magic of world news day. As you talk to friends, and consider your community, village, town or the wider world, think what you have learned today. There is a fair bet journalism was involved. The story tellers, who come from your community, tell the facts, no matter how uncomfortable that can be.

That is why, unarmed and living in your community, they are targeted, hassled, belittled, threatened. And it is why they respond with more facts, more answers, more independence of thought and maintain the link between you and the wider world. 

Journalists are a bridge as we build the future, supported by the capstone of our audience who are as loyal and determined as the reporter and the editor. Together, on World News Day, if it feels at times that the vestiges of hope are falling away, remember the safety net of journalism is there.

David Walmsley is the editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, Canada and is creator of World News Day

Read more: Assessing the global state of climate and environmental journalism

The post Journalism is society’s safety net appeared first on CoverStory.

“Truth should be their idol, their first and last consideration always,” stated an 1853 article titled “Truth in Journalism,” published in Scientific American Magazine. 

“Seek truth and report it,” states the first ethic of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics first drafted in 1926. 

“Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth,” echoes Principle 1 of The Elements of Journalism, the now classic 2001 work that speaks to the essential responsibilities of journalists.

This year, on World News Day, a global initiative to draw public attention to the role that journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information that serves citizens and democracy, we draw together around the world to “Choose Truth.”

World News Day is organized by the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF), the World Editors Forum and the South Africa-based Daily Maverick’s Project Kontinuum. The annual September initiative was first launched by the CJF in 2018 to enhance the relationship between the news industry and its audiences. From the outset, the goal was to create a greater public understanding of why quality journalism matters—especially in a world polluted by misinformation.

Global campaign

The theme of this year’s World News Day, “Choose Truth” is the first global campaign from Project Kontinuum, which was established by Daily Maverick founder and editor-in-chief Branko Brkic to reaffirm journalism’s critical role throughout the world.

This message could not be more critical or more timely. In a world in which we have increasingly witnessed fiction become fact and misinformation turn mainstream, choosing truth has perhaps never been more important – or more difficult.

For the public, this means the need to distinguish between real news and rumours and falsehoods masquerading as fact, a challenge ever more difficult in this era of AI-generated digital content and “bad actors” intent on sowing public discord with malicious disinformation. For journalists, it means doubling down on our core principle to serve the public with truth grounded in thoroughly verified fact. 

To choose truth requires that trust be the foundation of the relationship between the public and the journalists who seek to serve the public good.  But, as the 2024 Digital News Report of Oxford University’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, tells us, “… across the world, most of the public does not trust most of the news most of the time.” 

What does journalism’s obligation to seek truth and report it mean? It demands a staunch commitment to being trustworthy. That means being accurate and fair, dedicated to a transparent process of verifying the facts that form the foundation of truth. It means telling our audiences what we know and how we know it—being clear about our sources of information. It means understanding that on any given day, the facts we find may well be “the best available version of the truth” not the whole story and thus, we must always scrupulously update the facts as we learn more, and correct our mistakes when we err.

Timeless truth

A timeless truth: Facts are complex and truth is not always self-evident. Journalism is not infallible. 

In a polarized world, too many can’t agree even on what is a fact and argue that truth is dead. That makes it all the more critical for both responsible journalists and the public to understand what constitutes trustworthy, evidence-based information. It is not simply a matter of delivering and consuming the news; it is about empowering people with the facts they need to navigate their world. 

As Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, outgoing director of the Reuters Institute wrote in 2018,  “For both journalists and the public, the basic journalistic aspiration of finding truth and reporting it is of enduring importance, as are all the ways in which journalism can empower people by helping keeping them informed about, oriented in and engaged with the world around them.”

The truth is, quality journalism in the public interest matters, Facts matter, Truth Matters. On this World News Day, we must all—journalists and citizens alike—Choose Truth.

Kathy English, chair of the board of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, served as public editor of the Toronto Star for 13 years. She was a Journalism Fellow at the Reuters Institute in 2020/21.

Read more: Assessing the global state of climate and environmental journalism

The post First, Choose Truth appeared first on CoverStory.

Dear reader, citizen, fellow human,

2024 A.D. is testing our modern societies in ways we once hoped would never be repeated.

Autocratic regimes and aspiring dictators around the world have thrown a gauntlet to freedoms across borders, races and religions. Modern conflicts span the entire globe and are fought in an information expanse that is overwhelming in its reach and power. New technologies, and the platforms they enable, are battlefields on which our future is being decided—often without our permission and against our will.

In this maelstrom, it is journalism, fact-based, evidence-based credible news media, that has a lifelong duty to defend the self-evident values our civilization was built on. Worldwide, it is the journalists who live their responsibility to honor this sacred bond with our audiences and our communities. 

In return, we feel the joy of shared truth—with you. 

These special moments—when news stories save lives, improve understanding among people and guide us through rough times—are often lost in the avalanche of disinformation destroying trust, the bedrock of our ability to live together. Even the very meaning of Truth is under assault. 

Journalism everywhere is struggling to maintain its standing and relevance to our own communities, and for an alarming number of our news organizations, daily existence equals a struggle for bare survival.

These are indeed extraordinary times—worrying to the core to every soul that cares about people, civilization and democracy that made it all possible.

And yet, these troubled days are also exciting and scintillating at the same time. 

We, the news media of the world, in moments when systems are crumbling and foundational truths are under pressure, must show that we’re made of sterner stuff; the stuff that can withstand disinformation campaigns, sustained attacks, and a flood of falsehoods.

Our business models have crumbled under the pressure of Big Tech. Truth itself is being relativized daily; what once was a common understanding of material reality today is often supplanted by interpretation that’s fact-free. 

In many instances, the very form of the word Truth carries the meaning of Lie. 

These are not random, accidental attacks. These are all part of the crusade against our system of values, our basic understanding of what is good and bad. Without our system of values, if we can’t distinguish right from wrong, we have no civilization either.

Come September 28, every World News Day, we the news media organizations from around the world, join hands to reassure you of our undying commitment to News, Facts, Accountability, Public Service, Humanity, Scrutiny, Independence, Ethics & Community. These words have deep meaning.

They matter to us. 

There’s only one choice ahead of us: We, the news media, will continue to fulfill our sacred duty. The news we report will remain based in fact. We will defend Truth.

And we want to further assure you, dear reader, that it is our every intention to keep it that way. We will not tire, and we will not give up. The battle for Truth is the battle for our common future.

And to our colleagues everywhere in this troubled stretch of history, do not despair. You are not alone. Our mission ties us all together.

The noise and violence will eventually subside, and the discourse based on truth and decency will return. It may not happen soon, but it will happen eventually.

For now, we fight. Every moment of every hour of every day.

This 2024 World News Day, let us make sure we never forget why we’re here in the first place—and help keep the joy of shared truth with our readers our true North.

Branko Brkic is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Maverick and creator of Get Truth Campaign, South Africa. Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, is the CEO of Rappler.com.

The post 2024 World News Day: Joy of shared truth, sacred bond and democracies’ self-evident values appeared first on CoverStory.

For a while, what I call my habitual burnout was leading me to contemplate my life decisions until I reached a point where I decided: “Who cares, I just want to pass.”

Over the past two years, with help from close friends and fellow cadet officers, I got over one burnout episode after another with a hint of hope of overcoming the next one, if ever it strikes again.

This burnout started in the second semester of my sophomore year after I decided to join the ROTC as a basic cadet. Later, I signed up for the Cadet Officer Candidate Course because I found it intriguing and I thought being an ROTC officer could introduce me to work in the real world.

A UP Cadet Officer’s responsibility is entirely voluntary and the tasks are equivalent to handling 18 units worth of subjects, or a normal semester’s academic load.

Juggling volunteer work and studies

Balancing ROTC work and academics, or juggling cadet tasks with school work, has remained difficult since. But I found that performing volunteer service as a cadet officer was rewarding, especially when I saw how our programs, such as our medical missions last March at Pook Dagohoy on the Diliman campus, brought joy to the people we served.

Being in the Cadet Corps also helps me academically, especially in completing assignments on time. When I have upcoming deadlines or important ROTC events to attend, I plan early to accomplish my academic assignments before my tasks as a cadet officer. As I must be present for training every Saturday, I have to set the days for what school work I should accomplish. I usually reserve Fridays and Saturdays entirely for the Corps. But sometimes, I have to sacrifice my academics for the ROTC and the other way around.

In November-December 2023, the workload in both the Corps and my course—research, journalistic investigation, media production—became heavier as the semester was ending.

I could feel the stress at the end of my first semester as a junior building up into panic attacks. I could not rest even when I tried because, in my mind, it felt as if I still had more work to do.

My ROTC tasks were always in the back of my mind, and whenever I took a break, I felt guilty for not doing anything. A fight erupts in my head between getting some rest and continuing to work. This battle being waged in my head causes heavy breathing, creates a tingling sensation all over my body, the kind you feel from a pinched nerve in the arm, which is uncomfortable and gives a general uneasy feeling.

Academic honorifics

I am now in my third year in my journalism studies. I had worked hard to win academic honors and awards for high grades and I did not disappoint myself and others who rooted for me. I received recognition twice as a College Scholar (Dean’s Lister) with a general weighted average of 1.75 and three times as a University Scholar (President’s Lister) for a grade of 1.45.

As a volunteer cadet staff officer, my tasks include writing reports on current events, such as the West Philippine Sea conflict, and what’s going on in UP that may be relevant to the ROTC, plus the weather conditions that may affect our training. I also write about our community outreach program and evaluate ways to improve the conduct of our unit. I must be prepared for making a report any time it is needed by my superior. In a way, these are not very different from my course requirements.

Juggling my two roles as a student and a volunteer worker developed my “habit” of burning out.

The Webster dictionary defines burnout as the “physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.” I accept this condition now because my anxiety and stress seem to be constant in me. The good thing is that overcoming it has become a part of me, too. 

Still, I am exhausted, I think negatively, and feel inefficient or unmotivated to put in the effort to accomplish something.

The two crucial responsibilities I attend to become overwhelming because of tight schedules, overlapping assignments, and sometimes the need to sacrifice one for the other.

At work, my anxiety increases because of demands. After a critique session following our work, the negative aspects and shortcomings still stick with me.

Struggling to jumpstart myself

In my studies, I struggle to get the energy to jumpstart myself. When I rest or spend time with my family or friends, my anxiety nudges my mind by reminding me that I have many assignments to finish. But when there is nothing to do, I feel I must do something. I’m in constant “work or study” mode. 

Although I continue to strive hard to accomplish both my academic and volunteer work assignments, it is not enough for me to feel fulfilled. It reached a point that when I had examinations, academic papers, or a crucial subject to attend, I just did all of them for the sake of passing.

Not all things were negative in my experience because, amid the overwhelming and anxiety-inducing academics and work, there were things to look forward to on the bright side.

One significant aspect of life I found helpful was social connections.

As a freshman during the pandemic, I was alone in my room and too shy to reach out online to others in my batch and other UP students. I had practically no other people to communicate with. In the comfort of my home, doing my assignments, I struggled with my anxiety and self-doubt and I even asked myself: Am I worthy of studying in UP?

However, I realized I was not alone in my struggle when I met new people in UP and the Cadet Corps, and in two student groups that I joined who made me feel welcome and whose members were engaging.

According to a 2020 study in the Philippines, students involved in school organizations correlate with “depression levels, general positive affect and life satisfaction.”

Support and collaboration

In the ROTC, I grew to appreciate the supportive and collaborative environment. In my work as a cadet officer, I met other students who could relate to me, especially those who have struggles similar to mine. We talked about being tired and swapped stories of similar experiences in similar events. We became close because we were often involved in the same activities and went through hard and difficult times.

There, I met a person who is exceptional in my heart, someone who never failed to calm me whenever I broke down, crying and feeling angry at myself. Once, in the first weeks of December last year, I had to prepare paperwork concerning cadet attendance while I was also doing research and investigation work for my journalism class. The demand of choosing which task I must prioritize became so overwhelming that I broke down. It was difficult to focus on the work at hand so I had to stop to vent out my frustrations to the person closest to me. She comforted and calmed me down, and helped sort out what I should do.

Social interactions in school indeed help in improving the quality of our academic life.

As an introvert, it did not hurt meeting new people and forging friendly relationships that could possibly last a lifetime. Who knows? Maybe people like me will find their significant others or build a network of connections with those who could assist their careers. 

I am not alone in this journey. And neither are the others like me.

Mervin Manaois, a journalism student of the University of the Philippines’ College of Mass Communication in Diliman, Quezon City, and a UP cadet officer, is an intern at CoverStory.ph.

Read more: Finding our way to happiness amid life’s difficulties

The post Surviving burnouts as a UP student and cadet officer appeared first on CoverStory.

The latter are just a few of the more striking, yet nuanced, findings from a new study funded by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. To achieve a global snapshot of the status of climate and environmental journalism, our partners at the Deakin University research team, led by Dr. Gabi Mocatta, surveyed 744 journalists and editors in 102 countries, conducted interviews with 74 journalists and editors in 31 countries and performed an extensive review of the existing research literature.

Even as climate impacts accelerate, journalists operate in an environment of increasing precarity: media layoffs abound and “news deserts” (towns or regions without reliable local news sources) are expanding globally. It’s not just their livelihoods; their safety is at stake too: Interviewed journalists in Peru, India and Ecuador reported kidnapping, sexual harassment, and legal threats, respectively, as a result of their environmental reporting, and they’re not the only ones.

At a time when we need to support climate and environmental journalism more than ever, this landmark piece of research aims to offer insights into the state of media covering these issues around the world: What are the challenges journalists and editors face in producing high-quality journalism, such as mis/disinformation, diminished press freedom and the lack of resources? And what strategies can journalists, newsrooms, and funding organizations employ to improve the climate and environment media landscape?

These are some of the questions addressed in our new report: ‘Covering the Planet: Assessing the State of Climate and Environmental Journalism Globally”.

In addition to findings that both present new data and confirm existing theories about the state of climate and environmental media, the report’s many recommendations provide important food for thought for journalists, newsrooms and funding organizations everywhere. It offers evidence-based suggestions to enable journalists to do their jobs safely and with the training and tools needed to confront challenging global conditions and their own knowledge gaps. 

What we found

Overall, ‘Covering the Planet’ found a thriving, vibrant, and dedicated community of journalists committed to reporting stories about our planet. 

But this landscape is filled with challenges, requiring more funding, more training, more access to sources and more expert connections. Journalists told us that NGO and philanthropic funding and training are crucial to amplifying coverage of climate change and the environment. Many journalists said that they would not be able to report on climate or the environment without this assistance. 

Environmental reporting also puts journalists in some parts of the world in real danger: 39% of the survey respondents said they had been threatened, with the same number acknowledging they have felt the need to censor themselves to stay safe.

This percentage is slightly higher than the responses EJN received to an online survey carried out in 2018: out of the 333 journalists who responded then, a third said they had been threatened and 31% acknowledged they had felt the need to censor themselves. Because that survey was carried out less formally—without an academic research methodology—it’s not clear if the change in results is statistically significant. But it does at least suggest the problem is getting worse—echoing findings from the latest World Press Freedom Index. That two out of five journalists covering climate change and the environment feel unsafe and unable to report freely is a striking result.

Less surprising is that 76% of surveyed journalists reported that a lack of resources limits their coverage. Even though climate reporting is arguably more robust now than it has ever been — in part because the effects of climate change have become so difficult to ignore—newsroom budgets continue to decline. Our findings underscore the urgent need to provide better financial support for environmental reporting and accountability as a key driver of action to stem environmental degradation and climate impacts. 

An unusual feature of ‘Covering the Planet’ is that high- and low-income countries were researched within one study, and although it is always hard to tease out significant differences, their experiences and perspectives appear to be disparate.

The report indicates that journalists in low- and middle-income countries more often face job insecurity, threats to their personal safety, lack of access to evidence-based information and data and a general lack of resources compared to journalists in high-income countries, who also experience these issues but less frequently or severely. Journalists covering climate change and the environment in high-income countries seem to face fewer physical threats and have better access to high-quality data. But while their salaries may be higher than journalists’ in LMICs, they do also suffer from job insecurity, and generally face more organized disinformation campaigns.

Respondents also perceive misinformation as a threat to conveying accurate information: 58% said it had increased in the last decade, and 93% reported that the main source of that misinformation was social media. Misinformation thrives in areas where there is a lack of trust in traditional media or other formal information providers, and where there is simply a lack of accurate information. The rise of social media and now generative artificial intelligence have complicated the information landscape in ways we may not yet completely understand, making it more crucial for journalists to provide timely and evidence-based public information.  

The research provided some answers about journalists’ perceptions and understanding of the role of misinformation in their work, with many noting it is not only an issue faced by journalists in low-income countries. Journalists in Brazil, Mexico and India directly referenced in interviews that misinformation in their countries was “not as bad as in the United States.” Others discussed how disinformation was not the main problem in their country, but instead a lack of information and local understanding of climate change.

A number of journalists interviewed commented on the rapidly increasing speed at which mis/disinformation can reach audiences — one from Cambodia said in an interview that 300 pieces of mis/disinformation could be produced in the time it would take them to write a single article.

There also seems to be a range of understandings of journalistic objectivity or “balance”. In much of the world, the report finds, journalists still utilize this concept as a justification for incorporating sources who deny human-caused climate change. In the survey, 62% of journalists said they included statements from these types of sources in their work. This corroborates findings from a separate EJN research report released in October 2023 on climate mis/disinformation in East Africa, where journalists in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were asked the same question. There, two-thirds of journalists also said they would use contrary sources in the name of “balance”.

The authors consider this finding to be particularly notable, in light of reporting trends in wealthier countries, where: In interviews, researchers discovered journalists held nuanced and complex notions of objectivity and balance. Few said they would advocate for specific positions, but many also were very clear that reporting about science and holding power to account was not equivalent to true advocacy, even if others may perceive it that way.

Some journalists also referred to objectivity as a ‘Western concept’ that had been imported into their practice. Several of these journalists were from countries experiencing the most severe climate impacts, including the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The report notes that this perspective may be because they are closer—physically and emotionally—to climate change’s impacts than journalists in wealthier countries, many of whom may perceive climate change as a “spatially and temporally distant issue”. 

There are other tensions related to objectivity and independence that journalists are facing, as well. Although many respondents cited the importance of NGO and donor funding, they also expressed a desire for that funding to have fewer strings attached—including thematic and geographic restrictions, budget crunches and impingement on editorial independence—and more often support longer-term financial sustainability rather than one-off projects.  

Where we go from here

The report shares almost 20 specific, concrete recommendations—for journalists, newsrooms, journalist networks and funding organizations—to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing climate and environmental journalism.

In particular, it identifies a major need for funding organizations to revisit their strategies to more often include provisions to support financial sustainability and longevity of funding, grants without specific (or with less constraining) limitations on topics to allow journalists to cover timely and relevant subjects of their choice, and more. 

Journalists and newsrooms themselves have a role to play here, as well. The study recommends that individual journalists need the support of their newsrooms to specialize in environmental journalism and break down barriers between beats, allowing journalists across the organization to cover climate change and its effects. Given the causes and impacts of climate change are so far-reaching, the report also recommends that all journalists and information providers—no matter their specialty—need to become familiar with the subject and how it is influencing the areas they cover.  

In the survey and interviews, journalists also identified the importance of solutions journalism as a key tool in furthering public understanding and climate action. Only 11% reported that they prioritize solutions reporting in their work, but 72% reported that they report problems and solutions in roughly equal balance. 

The extent to which journalism contributes to amplifying and implementing real-world solutions is an important subject of debate, and points to another intriguing finding from the study.  At a time when journalism must overcome mounting challenges to prove its worth—and remain viable—it’s important to document the crucial role the media does play in helping both individuals and authorities come to informed decisions. With that in mind, EJN makes a concerted effort to try and track the impacts of our support to journalists and newsrooms, and it was heartening to see that 29% of those surveyed—and this included many non-EJN members—claimed their stories had led to government policy changes.

As EJN enters its 20th year of supporting climate and environmental journalism globally, it’s clear we’ve come a long way in our two decades. But this new study reminds us there is still a long way to go. As the report itself concludes on page 90:

“‘Covering the Planet’ in a time of environmental crisis is a privilege and a responsibility. This is crucial and urgent work—and there is much work to be done. This study illustrates a landscape in which many committed professional journalists are striving to tell the stories that matter most, right across the planet. But they are trying to do much, with little. Supporting and amplifying their work in this global moment is essential if we are to enact the transformative change that is so urgently needed.”

The post Assessing the global state of climate and environmental journalism appeared first on CoverStory.

Today, it is known to the world as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc. I was among the journalists who joined the expedition, and to my recollection, I was the first to set foot on it.  

I was 33 years old, a correspondent covering Olongapo and Zambales for The Philippine Star, and a stringer for Kyodo News and CBS News. I may no longer remember the names of some people, 27 years having passed, but I will never forget this remarkable odyssey.  

Under the veil of darkness, we boarded a Philippine Navy patrol vessel that left at midnight from Alava Pier, Subic Bay, en route to Scarborough Shoal. We were a mix of international correspondents and stringers, local reporters, and photojournalists. Then members of the House of Representatives of the 10th Philippine Congress—Jose Yap (2nd district, Tarlac) and Roquito Ablan (1st district, Ilocos Norte) led the 220-kilometer journey that took more than 15 hours.

Earlier, I received a call from Anthony de Leon, a media specialist with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) public affairs office. (Anthony died two years ago. Writing about this made me miss his friendship.) He wanted to know if I’d join the trip—“Sama ka mamaya?”—and said the coverage would be “interesting.” na coverage ito. Congressmen Ablan and Yap will go to Scarborough Shoal with some members of the media.” 

I was a bit put off that the SBMA issued the invitation so close to the scheduled departure, and thought that maybe the province-based reporters would just be “fillers.” Still, the prospect of joining an important and maybe historical coverage excited me. I asked Anthony: What time? 

‘Pack light’

“Twelve midnight” was his quick reply. “Pack light dahil balikan lang tayo. Be in front of the SBMA flagpole 30 minutes early. We will walk to the pier with the others,” he added. 

Anthony made it sound like an easy day tour. But like most of us, he might have been shocked by the circumstances we faced as soon as the vessel left Subic. It was probably the most uncomfortable sea voyage I have ever taken in my life. No bed bunks, only portable chairs to sit on for the duration of the trip. So, when we were traversing some bumpy portions of the sea, I thought it was handy that I packed some sick bags in my survival kit!

An expedition to unfamiliar territory surely requires days of planning and preparation. Back in the day, SBMA usually extended courtesies like food and drinks on press visits and special coverages, especially on remote locations. I did not bother to ask Anthony what I should take with me. And didn’t he say, “pack light” because we were not staying long?  

The thought that we might have been stranded on the shoal due to unpredictable circumstances, like sudden bad weather or any life-threatening situation, occurred to me only after we had returned to Subic. 

During the trip I found that most of us had only the clothes we were wearing, our press IDs, our reporter’s tools (notebook, camera, tape recorder, flip phone), and the spirit of adventure. 

We were saved from hunger and dehydration by the two lawmakers’ Boy Scout spirit. Both Ablan and Yap brought coolers full of water and other refreshments, as well as sandwiches, snacks, and candies to share with the press and the crew. 

As we sailed out of the mouth of Subic Bay, I heard somebody say, “Wow, this is literally a slow boat to China.” One of the journos hollered back, “No! It’s a slow boat to Masinloc Shoal.” Loud cheers from everyone followed. 

When we were not writing on our notebooks or taking pictures of the vastness of the ocean, we amused ourselves somehow. I recall that at one point, a Filipino reporter was singing, spoofing the lyrics of “Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel:  “Are you going to Scarborough Shoal/ Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme…” 

I remember there were only two of us women present. I doubt if anybody slept during the bumpy journey. It was ridiculously hard, but I managed power naps every now and then while sitting on my chair.

There were two small cabins assigned to Ablan and Yap but by their haggard look, it seemed that they were unable to sleep, too. Yap, at that time the chair of the influential House committee on defense, was wearing a neck brace—for whatever condition, I cannot recall. He might have removed it before he and Ablan planted the Philippine flag on the highest rock formation in the atoll because it was not visible when we were taking their photos. 

Almost there

The voyage was a test of patience for everyone aboard the Navy vessel, including the captain and crew who remained professional and calm through the journey. We took turns asking if we were anywhere near our destination: “Malapit na ba tayo?”

I briefly joined a Japanese reporter in his space portside. I remember him to be of hefty build, and he was from Yomiuri or Asahi Shimbun (I remember the “Shimbun” on his press card). He was smoking. We both quietly watched the horizon for a while. Then he looked at his watch and said to me, “I think we are close.”  As if on cue, an announcement came from the PA system, “We will reach the destination in an hour,” eliciting cheers from the weary passengers. It was a very warm mid-afternoon, yet the sun brought hope to the news-hungry group that this is going to be a good day of reporting. 

I was returning to my chair to get my water bottle when suddenly, I heard shouts: “Pirates! Are they pirates!” I ran back and saw a motorized boat with two men who appeared to be Chinese, heading speedily in the opposite direction of our vessel. They were about 15 meters away. One was standing behind a machine gun that was positioned close to the bow. He was naked from the waist up and had a towel (or was it his shirt?) tied around his head like a bandana. The other was piloting the boat. My colleagues took photos. It was so quick that it was over within seconds.

Thankfully, no confrontation ensued. As the other boat sped away, we saw the man with the machine gun looking back at us. Later, we learned from the Navy crew that they were Chinese fishermen. 

Wow, Chinese fishermen with machine guns! I thought: What chance do our Filipino fishermen have when faced with such a hostile presence?

On the approach to Scarborough Shoal, the crew started to prepare the lifeboats that would take us there. I boarded the lifeboat after Ablan and positioned myself behind him, intent on seeing every piece of the action. 

As our lifeboat bobbed in the turquoise waters, the reef—or what looked like mainly coral, barely above sea level—came into view. There were a few scattered rocks that appeared above the waterline.

‘I will be the first’ 

The competitor in Congressman Ablan emerged. I heard him intently tell our boat pilot to speed up our pace and to get ahead of “Aping” (Yap). Then he turned to me and said rather emphatically in a mix of Filipino and English: “Jen, I will be the first congressman to set foot on Scarborough Shoal. Now, you can be the first journalist to land on it. Just let me get ahead by a few seconds. Don’t be first, ha!” 

And that’s what happened. I was conscious of his instruction the whole time, so when we reached the tip of the reef’s shallow part where our boat berthed, I watched him take his big step, and then I let my feet follow. My heart was racing. On this contested ground, I stood where no other journalist had stood before.

I looked around me and saw that we had disembarked ahead of the others. Congressman Yap seemed unmindful of whether he was first to set foot on the shoal or not. Perhaps it was his health condition? Ablan looked jubilant. I heard him ask the Navy captain where to plant the Philippine flag. 

(This 1997 expedition was the second time that the Philippines raised its flag on Scarborough Shoal. The first was in 1965, when a lighthouse was also built on it.)

I stood on the shoal and felt the cold caress of azure water on my feet. Oh, my gosh. The shoal unveiled itself as a silent landscape with beautiful secrets. Crystal-clear pools teemed with marine life. I saw colorful fish, mostly angel fish, and sea urchins and seahorses. The Filipino fishermen who came ahead told us to be mindful while stepping on the corals, to look before we step. Their medium-sized motorized bancas were docked nearby. 

‘Ililigtas ka’

As early as the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Bajo de Masinloc served both as economic sustenance and life-saver to Filipino fishermen who used it as traditional fishing ground and shelter during bad weather. 

While waiting for the flag-planting ceremony, I spoke to some of the Filipino fishermen. They pointed to a spot in the middle of the shoal where, during storms, they would dock their boats and huddle together, waiting for the bad weather to pass. What was amazing in their story was the fact that there was no structure or cover to protect them from the harsh elements. The shoal is in the middle of the open sea but according to them, it is so calm and serene even during a tempest: “Parang walang bagyo kahit may bagyo.”

A fisherman drew sharp contrast between Scarborough Shoal and the urban legend involving the Bermuda Triangle that swallows and makes one disappear. He said Scarborough Shoal will save you—“Ililigtas ka.” (Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc is also known as Panatag Shoal.)

They said they survived even the heaviest storms here; their boats remained intact, allowing them to go home unscathed and safe to their families. 

The Philippine flag-planting ceremony was starting. I rushed to board one of the lifeboats to get to the rock where it was to take place. In a press conference that followed at the same spot, Ablan told us reporters: “They (China) claimed that they own this place. But now that you are here, you’ve seen that the Philippines is more accessible, it is nearer, and it is within the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s description of what is our territory.” 

(Fast-forward to July 2016: The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea or International Court of Justice in The Hague found that China’s claims of historic rights within the nine-dash line, which Beijing uses to demarcate its claims in the South China Sea, are “without legal foundation.” The court also concluded that “China’s activities within the Philippines’ two-hundred-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), such as illegal fishing and environmentally ruinous artificial island construction, infringe on the Philippines’ sovereign rights.”)

We stayed at the shoal for perhaps more than an hour. The Navy crew was in a hurry to return while there was still daylight. I was quietly relieved that we left early.

We boarded a second Navy vessel that was already waiting for us at the shoal when we arrived. We were told that this one was faster. It was bigger and faster indeed, because we were back in Subic by midnight of the next day.

Back on the boat, I gazed at Bajo de Masinloc as it faded into the distance. As a journalist, I felt fortunate that I had a glimpse of it and its stories, up close and personal—not only of the day’s events, but of what may come next. 

What left an indelible memory in me was the weathered faces of the Filipino fishermen and their stories of resilience, dwindling catches, Chinese patrols, and dreams of peaceful seas. 

Will I return to Bajo de Masinloc? I probably would when an opportunity presents itself, this time more hopeful than apprehensive. At 60, I am now a grandmother of fiv. My wish is that the next generation will witness a peaceful resolution to this conflict that has taken so many years of livelihood, dignity, and lives from Filipino fishermen and their families. They may not fully grasp the intricacies of geopolitics, but they are the true custodians of Scarborough Shoal.

Jen Velarmino-van der Heijde covered Olongapo, Subic Bay Naval Base, and Zambales as a correspondent of The Philippine Star in 1988-2010. During her active years as a journalist, she was also a stringer for Kyodo News and CBS News Manila bureaus. Currently, she is a project consultant for an international NGO, and the president of the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber for Health and Environment Conservation.

Read more: Filipino fishers are called upon to sacrifice during PH-US Balikatan

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The high level of criticism is associated with low trust in the media in the Philippines and several other countries, according to this year’s Reuters Institute Digital News Report (DNR) released globally on June 14.

DNR 2023 also documents the steadily declining interest in news among Filipinos, their continuing avoidance of news, and the high degree of wariness when they talk about politics both online and offline, among others.

Now on its 12th edition and considered the most comprehensive global study of news consumption trends, the report draws data from an online survey of 93,895 adults in 46 media markets conducted in late January to early February. A total of 2,284 Filipinos participated in the survey.

In the Philippines, 91% of respondents say they have seen or heard criticism of the news media or journalists, with 63% reporting it as “very” or “quite often,” surpassing the average of 53% across all markets.

The report says politicians in the Philippines, the United States and Mexico have emerged as the primary source of criticism toward journalists. The Philippine news media have been heavily criticized by politicians (46%) and ordinary people (48%), followed by celebrities and influencers (41%). (DNR does not consider differences of +/- 2 percentage points as significant.)

At least 75 incidents of threats and attacks against journalists or news organizations, mostly by state agents, have been recorded since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office on June 30 last year, according to a report on the state of press freedom in the country. Thirty-one involved “red-tagging” or being branded a communist or terrorist.

Trust and criticism

DNR 2023 has detected a correlation between low levels of trust in news and media criticism.

“Some of the highest reported levels of media criticism are found in countries with highest levels of distrust, such as Greece, the Philippines, the United States, France and the United Kingdom,” it says. “The lowest levels of media criticism are often in those with higher levels of trust, such as Finland, Norway, Denmark and Japan.”

Overall trust in the news among Filipinos (38%) has held steady since last year but lags behind the global average (40%) and remains the lowest among the five Southeast Asian media markets covered in the annual study. Filipinos under 35, in fact, are more likely to disagree that they can trust news most of the time.

Reflecting the trend across the 46 media markets, self-declared interest in news has declined steadily in the Philippines. Only 52% of Filipinos now say they are “extremely” and “very” interested in news in contrast to a high of 69% in 2020 when the Philippines was first included in the study.

More Filipinos (47%) also intentionally avoid news “sometimes” or “more often” than news consumers in other markets (36%). The proportion climbs to 78%, when those who “occasionally” try to avoid news are included, exceeding last year’s 75%.

More than half of Filipinos (54%) have been tuning out news by checking it less often, including disabling notifications. Half avoid certain sources, scrolling past news or changing channels when news comes on. More than a fourth (28%) shun specific news topics like those that dampen their mood or increase anxiety.

Avoidance of hard news

Unsurprisingly, 89% of Filipinos avoid hard news, particularly topics related to national politics (45%) and social justice (33%) such as race or gender inequality and rights.

Declining interest and growing avoidance of news have adversely affected consumption of traditional media sources. On the whole, it has declined 15 percentage points to 59% since 2020. 

Specifically, the percentage of Filipinos relying on TV as a source of news has decreased from 66% in 2020, when government closed the largest network, ABS-CBN, to 52% this year (-14 points). Radio news consumption has dropped from 25% to 17% (-8 points) and print from 22% to 14% (-8 points) over the same period.

Although news consumption among Filipinos is mostly online (86%) and through social media (70%), the growth has been sluggish since 2020 and has actually declined over the past year. 

For example, 70% of Filipinos use social media as a news source this year, down 3 points from last year. Usage of digital-born or digital-first media brands has also fallen from 76% in 2020 to 63% this year (-13 points).

Filipinos’ participation in news online has likewise dipped. 

While DNR 2023 classifies Filipinos as among the more “active participators” (those who comment on a news story in a social network or a news website), the Philippine average of 34% is a far cry from the 54% first recorded in 2020. The average across all markets this year is 22%.

The number of Filipinos sharing news online is also lower, dropping from 51% to 47% over the past three years. They are also less likely to talk about a news story online (24%, down 3 points from 2020) and face to face (25%, down 6 points).

Gen Z or Zoomers (ages 18 to 24) are even less likely to share news (43%) and comment on it (27%) but more likely to talk about it (42%).

Level of wariness

While only more than half of respondents across all 46 media markets worry about what they say about politics online (54%) and offline (52%), the level of wariness is higher among Filipinos: 81% online and 78% offline.

The report says markets with more active participators such as the Philippines tend to have more people concerned about political conversations online. 

It also says: “These perceptions are particularly high among respondents in countries such as the Philippines (81% online, 78% offline) and Peru (70% online, 67% offline), where citizens may feel the chilling effects of political unrest, online intimidation tactics, or other threats to free expression.”

Filipinos express greater concern over misinformation and disinformation (64%) compared with the global average (56%). The proportion has grown 7 points from 57% in 2020. 

DNR 2023 reports that Facebook is becoming much less important as a source of news in most markets, especially in the Global South, as TikTok and other video-based networks gain ground.

In the Philippines, Facebook remains the leading news source (72%), but the country now ranks among markets with the highest use of TikTok for news and other purposes. 

TikTok’s usage as a news source of Filipinos has dramatically grown from a mere 2% in 2020 to 21% this year (up 19 points) and from 7% to 42% (up 35 points) for all purposes. Usage is particularly high among Zoomers, with 32% using it for news and 58% for all purposes.

Save for Twitter, Filipinos pay attention more to personalities than mainstream or alternative brands or journalists when accessing news on social media. But there is greater preference for hard news than soft news across platforms, except for Instagram.

In contrast to the global trend, where most respondents prefer to read the news (57%) than watch (30%) or listen to it (13%), Filipinos deviate from the pattern: 52% would rather watch the news than read (36%) or listen to it (12%). Interestingly, Gen Z Filipinos are less likely to watch the news (47%) than other age groups and more likely to listen to it (15%).

For Filipinos, Facebook (63%) is the biggest outlet for online news-related videos, followed by YouTube (51%), a new site or app (32%), TikTok (21%), Twitter (13%) and Instagram (12%).

However, Gen Z Filipinos have a higher consumption of these videos on TikTok (34%) and Twitter (20%).

Yvonne T. Chua is an associate professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines. She wrote the profile on the Philippines for the Digital News Report 2023. —Ed.

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