RESIST Project partner REVOLVE hosted a webinar on 19 November 2024 to discuss the crucial role of accurate and effective journalism when it comes to reporting on climate emergencies. The session featured a panel discussion with two experienced journalists, Aline Flor from Portuguese media outlet Público and David Latona from the Reuters news agency.

Understanding the Role of Journalism in Climate Action

REVOLVE’s Patricia Carbonell began the webinar by introducing the RESIST project and its objectives, and by highlighting the key role journalism plays in building climate change resilience in society. She underlined that journalists were not just information providers but vital connectors who ensure that communities have access to accurate, up-to-date data to prepare for and respond to climate emergencies.

“Journalists play a crucial role in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and the public, empowering communities with the information needed to take collective action,” she noted.

Aline Flor and David Latona: Insights from the Field

The first section of the webinar was dedicated to a discussion between Flor and Latona. Flor shared her firsthand experiences covering the devastating wildfires in Portugal in September 2024. She described the challenges faced by local communities resulting from evacuations and property destruction. Latona, in turn, spoke about the catastrophic floods that struck the southeast of Spain in late October 2024, killing over 200 people. He emphasized the critical issue of inadequate preparation by local authorities and how it shaped his coverage of the event.

Both Flor and Latona highlighted the importance of an integrated approach to climate reporting. They advocated for combining scientific data with personal stories to provide a comprehensive and relatable narrative for the audience. Flor said: “It’s not enough to report on the numbers. We must tell the stories of real people, as this is where the true impact of climate change is felt.”

RESIST coordinator Vilija Balionyte-Merle, senior business developer at SINTEF, raised a key question about the challenge of balancing media portrayals of climate emergencies with the actual on-the-ground reality while avoiding sensationalism.

In response, the journalists emphasised the importance of providing clear and actionable information to the public, even when the severity of an event might not be fully understood. As Latona put it: “In emergencies, it’s better to overprepare than to underestimate the risks.”

Solutions-Oriented Journalism: The Way Forward

Throughout the session, the conversation centred around the importance of solutions with a focus on how communities and governments are addressing climate change. The journalists emphasised that this type of reporting is not about downplaying the severity of the climate crisis but highlighting actionable solutions that can inspire hope and motivate audiences to take action.

The challenge of engaging audiences with climate content was also discussed. The Journalists recognised that traditional methods of covering climate issues often fail to capture public attention. The importance of collaboration between journalists and institutions was emphasised as a way to improve climate communication.

Flor and Latona also discussed the need for greater involvement in crisis response training, specifically with local communities and first-responders. Such training would enhance journalists’ ability to cover climate emergencies with a deeper understanding of the local context and the needs of vulnerable populations.

Flor continued by saying that it was essential to introduce discussions on adaptation and disaster risk reduction in general news coverage and not just during extreme weather events. This would help integrate the topic more consistently into daily news agendas.

“We need to learn the vocabulary to cover climate change and use it to communicate better solutions. People should not only pay attention during crises, but we can integrate climate action into discussions on politics, mobility, and other sectors. Climate action is necessary in all areas of journalism.”

A Collaborative Approach to Media and Crisis Reporting

In the second section of the webinar, attention was shifted to an interactive session led by Boris Van Westering, climate journalism expert, and Marta Castillo, REVOLVE communication officer, where the discussion deepened on how journalists can improve their coverage of climate-related emergencies and foster better collaboration with institutions.

Van Westering emphasised the importance of creating an integrated network of experts, journalists, and institutions to share resources and improve communication during climate crises.

Castillo shared her insights on how journalists have an essential role in breaking down complex climate data for the general public, making it more accessible and actionable. The session also highlighted the need for journalists to not just react to emergencies but actively engage in long-term reporting that connects climate impacts to the lives of affected people. By highlighting solutions, they argued, journalists can inspire hope and motivate both policymakers and communities to act.

“We need to go beyond just reporting the disaster; we need to tell the stories of resilience and solutions to show that change is possible,” Van Westering said.