Association bemoans selective reporting of climate change
The Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) has bemoaned the tendency of some journalists to only report climate change stories during disaster.
EAM programmes coordinator for the South, James Kalikwembe, was speaking at Nchalo, Chikhwawa, recently when the organisation hosted a two-day workshop for journalists from Blantyre, Nsanje and Chikhwawa.
The training was aimed at drilling the scribes in writing climate change (CC) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) stories to influence policy and change.
“When a disaster has occurred, the media rushes to the scene with cameras, recorders and pens. However, there is minimal media exposure of other disaster response activities that are done before and after the disaster. Journalists, therefore, need to be imparted with knowledge that can enable them to do even investigative CC/DRR pieces,” said Kalikwembe.
The training also included a field visit to some areas in traditional authorities Ngowe and Masache where the participants were given opportunity to appreciate some CC and DRR initiatives EAM is implementing.
One of the participants Jane Kaonga, thanked EAM for the training.
She said the media must go beyond the traditional roles of informing, educating and entertaining to embrace strategic functions such as advocacy and mobilisation of populations for a worthy cause.
