ICS shared its experience with environmental journalism before the European Journalism Training Association

Environmental journalism is playing an increasingly important role in protecting the environment and in promoting the right policies to address environmental problems, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. The journalists which want to explore this field of journalism need to familiarize with the multifaceted problems and complex topics, which is why education in environmental journalism is particularly important.

This was the topic of the meeting of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA) – the largest European association for journalist education, which took place from 21 to 23 May in Rome, and at which the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) also presented.

Professors, lecturers and researchers from all over Europe shared their experiences and knowledge about the state of environmental journalism, how it can be further developed and the methods that can be used to educate future professional journalists. Through thematic sessions, views and practices from different European countries and regions could be heard, as well as the environmental problems they face.

IKS participated with two presentations. At the session dedicated to practical environmental journalism, the Institute presented its investigative story dedicated to the Macedonian grayling – the rarest butterfly in Europe, as well as the changes that followed the publication of the story. At the second session, dedicated to experiences with environmental journalism, IKS presented its contribution to the pioneering development of environmental journalism in Macedonia and the Western Balkans in recent years, as well as the challenges faced by journalists from the region.

The main conclusion of the meeting was that environmental journalists have the task of helping the public to become familiar with complex environmental issues and how humans affect nature and vice versa. They should vigilantly monitor political and social decisions that lead to endangerment or improvement of the environment. Their role is to inform, educate, alert and call for action. In the future, as environmental problems increase in the face of climate change, environmental journalism will gain increasing importance, it was concluded at a meeting of the European Association for the Training of Journalists.