At Internews’ Earth Journalism Network our approach to boosting environmental reporting has always been to work closely with our partners on the ground since they bring local perspectives to global environmental challenges, new ideas for storytelling and collaboration, and are a trusted source of information in their communities.
Late last year, we called on journalist networks, media outlets, civil society organizations (CSO) and academic institutions across the Asia-Pacific region to submit proposals for activities that would strengthen the resources of local journalists and content providers, build environmental reporting partnerships and networks and support innovations around environmental news coverage.
We received 82 applications from across the region, and after a highly competitive selection process, we chose to award 13 organizations with media grants to help them implement their ideas.
These include an environmental data journalism initiative in Indonesia, a climate justice project in Thailand, support to youth to create fact-based, social media content on environmental issues in Vietnam, and investigative training for radio journalists to cover environmental degradation in the Chure Hills of Nepal.
Our panel of judges, made up of EJN staff around the world, selected the grantees based on several criteria, including the quality of their proposal, its relevance to the priorities outlined in the call, its potential for impact and the quality and effectiveness of the project design. Financing for these grants will be provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Check out the full list of our 2020 EJN Asia-Pacific media grantees and their project descriptions below.
| Grantee |
Project Location |
Project title |
Description |
Grant Amount (USD) |
|
Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) – Jakarta Chapter |
Indonesia |
Urging Green Energy Through Journalism |
Workshops and reporting fellowships on renewable energy will aim to generate more in-depth stories on this topic in mass media, and, in doing so, ignite discussions on the need for Indonesia to switch to more green energy sources. |
19,909 |
|
Bhutan Media Foundation |
Bhutan |
Linking Climate Change Reporting with Public Policy |
This project seeks to trigger more public discourse on the impacts of climate change and relevant public policies by training Bhutanese reporters how to better cover climate change and supporting the production and distribution of stories on how vulnerable, rural communities are impacted. |
31,889 |
|
Cambodia Institute for Media Studies (CIMS) |
Cambodia |
Strengthening the Capacity of Media and Activists on Fisheries Reporting |
By strengthen networking between journalists and social media content producers and enhancing their ability to monitoring illegal fishing and its impacts on the environment, this project aims to raise public awareness and inform policy makers on fisheries issues. |
20,025 |
|
Digital Broadcast Initiative Equal Access (DBI EA) |
Nepal |
Media Strengthening to Mitigate Environmental Degradation in Nepal’s Chure Hills |
Training and mobilization of radio journalist networks in Nepal will allow them to investigate the degradation of the Chure Hills and its negative impacts on natural resources and humans. |
19,905 |
|
For Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF) |
Vietnam |
The Voice of Youths – An Innovative Media Channel on Environmental Issues |
This project will amplify the perspectives and actions of youth in environmental discourse in Vietnam by working with them to generate social media content on environmental issues and facilitating networking between youth, policy makers, journalists and other stakeholders. |
19,464 |
|
Foundation for Community Educational Media (FCEM) |
Thailand |
Capacity Building for Journalists and Thai Civil Society to Cover Climate Change and Justice Issues |
The focus will be on bringing together Thai civil society organizations and journalists through workshops and partnerships to develop in-depth stories on climate justice and climate change. |
19,369 |
|
Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) |
India |
When the Levee Breaks: Sharpening India’s Climate Reportage in the Age of the Anthropocene |
With the aim of making climate change terms and IPCC key messages more accessible to the general public, this project will build climate change knowledge and reporting skills among journalists, students and researchers. Handbooks and audio-visual materials on best practices in climate reporting, basics of climate science and policy in the Indian context will also be produced. |
39,971 |
|
Indonesian Data Journalism Network |
Indonesia |
Environmental Data Hackathon |
Hackathons will help build data journalism capacity and facilitate collaboration between journalists, designers and developers for the development of impactful data-driven environmental stories. Focus will be on journalists working outside of Jakarta. |
37,399 |
|
KBR (PT Media Lintas Inti Nusantara) |
Indonesia |
What’s in It for Me? – Raising Awareness of the Climate Crisis Through Creative Journalism-and Personal Stories |
Using radio and podcast storytelling, this project will engage the public in finding ways to respond to the climate crisis in their daily lives, and, ideally, trigger a dialogue between the public and policy makers on climate-related policies. |
47,643 |
|
Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism |
Asia – mainly Southeast Asia |
#WildEye Asia |
Aimed at enhancing media coverage of e thwildlife trade in Asia, this project will work to build a digital mapping tool for tracking and monitoring seizures, arrests, court cases and convictions related to the illegal wildlife trade in the region. Based on a tool already available in Europe, it will provide easily accessible data to journalists, researchers, law enforcement agencies and NGOs for their own investigations. |
45,710 |
|
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) |
India |
Creating a Pan-Himalayan Network for Climate Change Journalism |
A Pan-Himalayan Network for Climate Change Journalism will be created through a virtual platform that will impart knowledge of environmental degradation and the adverse impacts of climate change to community media practitioners, local journalists and environmental activists located in the Himalayan region. |
44,686 |
|
Newsroom Cambodia Training Program (CCIM) |
Cambodia |
Newsroom Cambodia: Srok Khmer |
This project will train young Cambodians on environmental reporting with the aim of equipping them with the knowledge and skills to cover environmental issues, as well as prepare them to become future trainers. |
8,240 |
|
The Magway Post |
Myanmar |
Training Citizen Journalists on Environmental Reporting |
Citizen journalists will get training in environmental reporting, including journalism basics and environmental topics so they can produce environmental news stories and investigations on issues such as the impacts of climate change on farmers and migrant workers. |
4,088 |
(Banner photo: Aerial view of Bali. Credit unknown/CC)