New analysis of Chinese environmental journalism
How do Chinese journalists cover climate-change stories – and what opportunities for international cooperation in that field exist for funders, NGOs and governments? A bilingual analysis that addresses these questions has been published by International Media Support (IMS), Caixin Media and chinadialogue
The report, Climate-change journalism in China: opportunities for international cooperation – produced jointly by chinadialogue, Caixin Media and International Media Support (IMS) – is authored by Sam Geall, deputy editor of chinadialogue. Its foreword is by Hu Shuli, an outspoken commentator and the editor-in-chief of Caixin Media. The report was officially presented at a launch event at International Media Support in Copenhagen, Thursday, 19 May.
In her foreword to the report, Hu writes: “In Denmark, the United Kingdom and other countries, how to combat climate change has become a social and political issue of great importance. Against this background, more and more Chinese journalists, either out of active interest or in order to move with the times, are reporting climate-change issues.”
She continues: “However one looks at it, reporting on climate change represents a golden opportunity for the media. But grasping this opportunity isn’t always easy.”
The report – based partly on interviews with participants a climate-change fellowship for 10 journalists and editors from around China, organised by Caixin Media and IMS – finds that climate-change reporting in China continues to increase in quantity, originality and detail, with a wide range of opinions about climate change represented by different publications and outlets.
However, despite the growth in coverage of these issues – especially since the Copenhagen climate-change conference in December 2009 – obstacles remain to high quality climate-change reporting, including: confusion about the science of climate change; limits on access to information; and a sense that climate-change stories must reflect the “national interest”.
The report, which is available for free download [see details below], also argues that international cooperation has helped to create a number of opportunities for climate-change journalists. But the author identifies areas for improvement – and makes specific recommendations to aid the further development of projects and programmes that could encourage deeper, more relevant, creative and compelling journalism about climate change.
Notes to Editors
The report, published as a single, bilingual PDF file, is available for free download here.
Chinadialogue (http://www.chinadialogue.net) is an independent, non-profit organisation based in London, Beijing and San Francisco. The bilingual website publishes articles by experts, policymakers, activists and concerned citizens in English and Chinese on global environmental issues, with a special focus on China.
Caixin Media (http://english.caing.com/) is a Beijing-based media group that publishes two influential titles, Century Weekly and China Reform, founded by Hu Shuli, former founding editor of Caijing magazine and a prominent investigative journalist and commentator.
For further information, please contact author Sam Geall:sam.geall@chinadialogue.net (London mobile: +44 7894469502 +44 7894469502)
