Covering the Environment: Rio in Focus

Rio+20 Brings Collaboration, Innovation, and Frustration

A partnership between Internews and O Eco sent 30 journalists to the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil and launched an interactive mapping platform, InfoAmazonia. James Fahn, Director of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN), reports back from the conference in the Columbia Journalism Review. EJN also has new opportunities for upcoming fellowships for journalists from China, India, the EC and the US – those interested should apply today.

Reporting from Rio

Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Brazilian environmental reporting organization O Eco sent a group of 30 journalists from 20 countries to the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil. These Fellows, editors, trainers and staff reported on the negotiations, and have done an immense amount of reporting. You can see more than 60 of their news articles on the EJN website. Watch a video from the Fellows in Rio.

Mapping the Amazon

At the conference, the Earth Journalism Network and O Eco launched a pioneering new website, InfoAmazonia.org. The site offers an interactive mapping platform that provides timely news and reports of environmental challenges in the Amazon region through an innovative visualization of data.  Users can post and download environmental news and data about the Amazon basin, alongside news on environmental and developmental challenges in the region. Read more>>

New Opportunities with EJN

Visit Internews’ Earth Journalism Network web site to apply for new fellowships and reporting opportunities, including:

• IUCN World Conservation Congress, Sept. 5-12 (Apply by July 15 - for journalists from China, India, Brazil, Mexico and the US)
• Seafood Summit in Hong Kong Sept. 4-12 (Apply by July 15 - for journalists from China)
• Fellowships for Reporting on Fisheries (Rolling deadline - for journalists in the European Community)

Side Events Become the Main Attraction

James Fahn, Director of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network, lends his thoughts on the failures and successes of Rio+20 in his Columbia Journalism Review column. Although many people were disappointed in the negotiations in Brazil, he found hope in the silver lining of this conference: “The interesting, and perhaps more newsworthy, parts of the summit were to be found away from the negotiations, in side events where NGOs, businesses and other groups gathered to present, discuss, and plan concrete actions to achieve greener growth.”