MEDIA BRIEF
What are Media Briefs: Part of the British Council’s Low Carbon Futures Project, Media Brief is an endeavour to help Communications Professionals’ (journalists, film makers, writers and novelists) understand the issues around climate change; and communicate the same to audiences by using their skills in communicating.
Media Briefs organised so far:
Media Coverage of Climate Change - Effective or Beneficial?
By Rob Edwards, environment editor of the Sunday Herald
There is now overwhelming evidence from scientists that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are causing floods, droughts, storms and many other problems across the world. The evidence is growing stronger and more worrying but the only logical conclusion is that the world has to quickly wean itself off the technologies that belch carbon and other polluting gases.
The dialectic argument of these new technologies is the stuff of journalism, but what problems do journalists face in covering these issues? What responses can they make and what responsibilities do they have? Sometimes, the contrarian and populist nature of some media does not help. That has resulted in some people becoming cynical and pessimistic about the media's role, but there are reasons for optimism. The tide of public opinion may not be moving as far and as fast as it needs to, but it is moving in the right direction. And journalists have a crucial role to play.
About Rob Edwards: Rob is the environment editor of the Sunday Herald and a correspondent for New Scientist. He has co-authored three books about nuclear power, and won a series of awards, most recently being shortlisted as environment journalist of the year in the British Environment and Media Awards.
In Conversation with Jeremy Bristow
Jeremy Bristow shared some of the experiences he has had and lessons he has learned while making films on the environment, and especially Climate Change over the last 15 years. As with any other issues, journalists face the same challenge - how to ensure accuracy, fairly represent the issues, and yet at the same time communicating a story that grips and motivates the audience.
Journalists can succeed in the difficult task of presenting a complicated story and yet making it both comprehensible and appealing to a lay readership, or audience. He feels that one of vital element of his trade is a strong storyline. The art of story telling applies to science as well as any other subject.
About Jeremy Bristow: Currently attached to BBC’s Natural History Unit, Jeremy has a strong news and current affairs background and is the only producer to have made films for Panorama (BBC’s flagship Current Affairs strand) and The Natural World (BBC’s flagship Natural History strand). He has won numerous international awards and British Environmental Media Awards.
For more information on Media Brief, please contact, Shruti Sharma.
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