FJWU and Unesco hold seminar on journalism's role in environmental crisis

Islamabad: Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) in partnership with Unesco, convened a landmark seminar here on Tuesday on the topic ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis.’ The event aimed to spotlight the critical nexus between journalism and environmental challenges, with a particular focus on Pakistan's unique position as one of the most affected countries despite its minimal contribution to global carbon emissions.

The seminar featured two insightful rounds of discussions, with the first round dedicated to academic perspectives on climate change. Hadia Usman, an esteemed scholar, presented research on anthropogenic climate change and climate displacement, emphasizing the urgent need for legal protections for those affected by climate-related disasters.

Hiba delved into the shortcomings of climate reporting in mainstream media, highlighting the lack of prioritisation and solution-oriented coverage. Dr. Saqib provided a critical analysis of mainstream media's framing of climate news, stressing the importance of context and relevance in reporting.

In the second round, climate activists and senior journalists underscored the collective responsibility in addressing climate change. They emphasised the need for broad-based action beyond media organisations, calling on young people to amplify their voices in advocating for environmental preservation. The Climate activists and senior journalists who mentioned that the media should not be blamed for everything.

Climate change control and management is a collective responsibility and should be dealt across the board instead of just dealt by newspaper organisations and journalists. This is the social media age and young people should raise their voice and advocate for saving this planet as they are one who will suffer in the long run. They said we accept that the media is doing less than what it should be doing but it is just the media's job, the responsibility is with all of us.

The seminar was graced by esteemed guests, including Antony Kar Hung Tam, officer in-charge of Unesco, Islamabad, who emphasised the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to combating climate change. The vice chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Women University delivered opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of utilizing new mediums and platforms to raise awareness while stressing the paramount importance of responsibility and accuracy in media coverage.

Hamza Khan, NPO CI, Unesco, Islamabad, delivered a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the organisers, participants, and attendees for their contributions to the fruitful discussions and highlighting the significance of collaborative efforts in addressing environmental challenges. The event also shed light on ongoing climate change initiatives undertaken by Fatima Jinnah Women University, further demonstrating its commitment to environmental stewardship.