Earth Journalism Network
FormationAugust 1, 2004
FounderJames Fahn
TypeNonprofit organization
Parent organization
Internews
Websiteearthjournalism.net

The Earth Journalism Network is a global media network that trains and funds journalists to report and inform the public on a variety of environmental issues. The organization focuses on environmental education, empowering local media, fostering media networks in underdeveloped countries, and geojournalism.

History and mission edit

The Earth Journalism Network was founded in 2004 by Internews, a nonprofit media organization. It was created to help provide training to expand media coverage of climate change in developing countries. Since its inception, EJN has provided more than 400 fellowships and trained over 8,000 journalists from many countries, including India, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Brazil.[1] These journalists have produced over 12,000 stories in print, radio, TV, or online, and more than 10,000 journalists are registered as members of the organization's website.[2] The network has provided funding to help journalists report on several major world climate change events, including the United Nation's annual Framework Convention on Climate Change[3][4] and to help create climate data projects in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.[5]

The organization’s mission is to “establish networks of environmental journalists in countries where they don’t exist, and build their capacity where they do”.[6]

Organizational structure edit

Leadership edit

James Fahn serves as executive director, with Sara Schonhardt as Content Officer and Orapin Kai Intasarn as Financial Manager.[7]

Current Programs edit

The Earth Journalism Network's projects promote independent environmental journalism in 70+ countries. They fund grants and fellowships for local reporters and host workshops and information sessions to boost community knowledge of climate and environmental issues in the regions.[8] Current projects receiving funding and support include:

Partner Projects edit

EJN partners with several organizations to further development of geojournalism programs. Geojournalism is the practice of combining news stories and scientific data to form a more complete picture of a region or issue. It helps journalists and scientists to display and visualize data and news in more appealing and understandable ways.[23][24]

Project Location Additional Funding Partners Summary
InfoAmazonia[25] Latin America International Center for Journalists

The Amazon Conservation Team[26]

Dejusticia

Hub for data and news reports on the Amazon and surrounding environment.
Mekong Eye[27] Southeast Asia Swedish International Development Agency A news platform for reporting on the environment in the region surrounding the Mekong River.
Ekuatorial[28][29] Southeast Asia David and Lucile Packard Foundation Geojournalism website that provides data and resources on environmental conditions in Indonesia.
InfoCongo[30] Central Africa USAID’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment Geojournalism website that provides data and reports on the Congo Basin.
InfoNile[31] North Africa Water Journalists Africa[32] Geojournalism website that provides data and reports on the Nile River Basin.
InfoPacific[33] Pacific Islands U. S. Agency for International Development[34] Platform covering reports and data on impacts of climate change in the Pacific Islands.
Mongabay EnviroNews[35] Southeast Asia Mongobay

Philippines Network of Environmental Journalists

Philippine EnviroNews[36]

A news platform for reporting on the environment in the Philippines.
Oxpeckers[37] Sub-Saharan Africa Open Society Foundation for South Africa[38]

Global Investigative Journalism Network[39]

Code for Africa[40]

African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting[41]

Investigative journalism network for environmental crimes in Africa. In 2019, Oxpeckers and EJN created WildEye, a map used to

track illegal poaching activities across Europe[42][43].

The Third Pole[44] South Asia Chinadiologue[45]

India Climate Dialogue[46]

Geojournalism website that provides data and resources on the environment in the region surrounding the Himalayan watershed.

Impact and awards edit

Professor Erich J. Sommerfeldt, Ph.D, from the University of Maryland, conducted a survey in 2013 to determine the impact of the Climate Change Media Partnership on the CCMP fellowship alumni. The results demonstrated that 78% of those surveyed strongly agreed the CCMP has been valuable to their career, with 94% strongly agreeing or agreeing the CCMP has made them a better journalist and 90% strongly agreed or agreed they are more aware about how to report on climate change. Additionally, the survey estimated that nearly 3,000 professional relationships were made as a result of the program.[47]

Journalists' stories funded by EJN have been seen in a number of well-known publications, including The Guardian,[48] Business-Standard,[49] National Geographic,[50] and Slate.[51]

Controversy edit

Murder of Hang Serei Oudom edit

In September 2012, the Earth Journalism Network and the Society of Environmental Journalists circulated a joint petition calling on the Cambodian government to launch a full investigation into the murder of environmental journalist Hang Serei Oudom. Oudom had been covering illegal logging activities for the local newspaper Vorakchun Khmer Daily when his body was discovered with several ax blows to the head.[52] The New York TimesAndrew Revkin called attention to this petition on his blog Dot Earth.[53]

References edit

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  2. ^ "What we do". Earth Journalism Network. Retrieved 2020-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "EARTH JOURNALISM NETWORK 2019 REPORTING FELLOWSHIP TO THE UNCCD COP14 – [BETA]". Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  4. ^ Revkin, Andrew C. (2010-12-24). "Covering Climate from Cancún to Katmandu". Dot Earth Blog. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  5. ^ "New geojournalism platform is changing how reporters cover Africa's longest river". International Journalists' Network. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  6. ^ "Earth Journalism Network sponsors worldwide contest for 15 young environmental journalists for a free trip to Copenhagen to cover the COP15 talks". Think Progress. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  7. ^ "Staff". Earth Journalism Network. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  8. ^ "Environmental Reporters Receiving Training, To Cover Climate Change in Developing World » Yale Climate Connections". Yale Climate Connections. 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  9. ^ "Investigating Illegal Wildlife Trafficking in Europe". Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  10. ^ Surugue, Léa. "The fight to bring a deadly illegal industry to justice". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  11. ^ "Earth Journalism Network: Call for Proposals for Asia-Pacific Story Grants". fundsforNGOs. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  12. ^ "Diverse Perspectives". SEJ. 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  13. ^ "Information Ecosystem Research in AP, TN, Orissa, West Bengal in India and Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong in Bangladesh. INTERNEWS, 2018 | CMSINDIA". www.cmsindia.org. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  14. ^ "Join the Biodiversity Media Alliance". IUCN. 2010-10-14. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  15. ^ "Biodiversity media alliance links journalists with the web of life". International Institute for Environment and Development. 2010-06-03. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  16. ^ "Climate Change Media Partnership | Panos London". Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  17. ^ "Earth Journalism Network sponsors worldwide contest for 15 young environmental journalists for a free trip to Copenhagen to cover the COP15 talks". ThinkProgress. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  18. ^ "Climate change media partnership". International Institute for Environment and Development. 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
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  21. ^ "Earth Journalism Scholars". Atavist. 2014-09-19. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  22. ^ "The Planet Is Suffering. How Do We Write About It?". Cal Alumni Association. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  23. ^ "Geojournalism handbook | Exposing the Invisible". exposingtheinvisible.org. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  24. ^ "GeoJournalism: A new way to combine data, maps and online story-telling". Global Landscapes Forum Paris 5-6 Dec. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  25. ^ "About". InfoAmazonia. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  26. ^ Flipsnack. "2018 Amazon Conservation Team Annual Report". Flipsnack. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  27. ^ "About". Mekong Eye. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  28. ^ "Launch of geojournalism site for Indonesia – 'Ekuatorial'". Green Growth Knowledge Platform. 2014-02-07. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  29. ^ "ABOUT US". Ekuatorial. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  30. ^ "About". InfoCongo. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  31. ^ "New geojournalism platform is changing how reporters cover Africa's longest river". International Journalists' Network. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  32. ^ "INFONILE". WaterSan Perspective. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  33. ^ "About". InfoPacific. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  34. ^ "Evacuation centre commissioned at Laulii village - InfoPacificInfoPacific". infopacific.org. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  35. ^ "STAFF WRITER – PHILIPPINES | Mongabay.org". mongabay.org. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  36. ^ "About Mongabay Environews Philippines". Philippines Environmental News. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  37. ^ "About". Oxpeckers. 2016-11-09. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  38. ^ Pommy_Pom. "2018 Grants List". Open Society Foundation for South Africa. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  39. ^ Founded 2013. "Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism". Global Investigative Journalism Network. Retrieved 2019-07-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ Africa, Code For (2018-11-06). "Partners shine at international awards". Medium. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  41. ^ "Using visual storytelling tools, Oxpeckers investigation incorporates multimedia elements". International Journalists' Network. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  42. ^ "Oxpeckers | #WildEye". Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  43. ^ Apr 2019, Julia Travers 8 (2019-04-08). "Inside a Nonprofit That Supports Environmental Journalists Around the World". Earth Journalism Network. Retrieved 2020-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  44. ^ "About". The Third Pole. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  45. ^ "中外对话 chinadialogue | china and the environment". www.chinadialogue.net. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  46. ^ "About". India Climate Dialogue. 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  47. ^ "CCMP Social Network Analysis | Social Network | Journalism". Scribd. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  48. ^ Martin, Tristan (2018-11-19). "Gruesome discovery of Czech tiger farm exposes illegal trade in heart of Europe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  49. ^ Hemalatha, Karthikeyan (2019-01-02). "Govt plans to increase height of solar panels so farming can continue below". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  50. ^ "This Amazon bird's eggs are black-market gold. Here's why". Animals. 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  51. ^ Kolachalam, Namrata (2019-02-15). "These Indian Women Are Fighting Back Against Caste, the Patriarchy, and Climate Change". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  52. ^ "Police told to probe link between reporter's murder and environmental coverage | Reporters without borders". RSF. 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  53. ^ Revkin, Andrew C. (2012-09-22). "Critics Press Cambodia to Fight Violence on its Forest Frontier". Dot Earth Blog. Retrieved 2019-07-18.