Pareti joins PADJ

Award Winning Pacific Journalist (pictured centre) Samisoni Pareti, has joined PADJ. We are proud to have Samisoni on board!

PADJ nominates 8 Pacific Journalists

PADJ has nominated 8 regional journalists for a Climate Change Fellowship under the Australian Leadership Award scheme, organised by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre in Melbourne Australia. The journalists who have also become members of PADJ are from the Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, Fiji, Cook Islands and Samoa. The Fellowship will take place in Australia next in February 2012.

Sharing climate science in the media

By Rosalie Nongebatu - Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
23 May Apia, Samoa - Delegates at the Lessons for Future Action Conference have been reminded of the importance of communicating the Science of Climate in a manner that is culturally considerate and locally relevant.
This was one of the challenges in Communicating Climate Science put forward by the Pacific Climate Change Editor Cherelle Jackson during her presentation under the Information and Awareness Raising Session this morning. Another challenge Ms Jackson pointed out included the lack of knowledge and background in Science by pacific journalists, who usually learn on the job before communicating the information to the community.
“We have to teach and understand the science of climate change and then relate this to our audiences.”
Ms Jackson says although outreach programs and awareness campaigns are of great value to personally communicating the science, the most effective avenue would be the mass media whether it be radio, television, online or newspapers.
According to a study carried out by Ms Jackson at the Oxford University on climate change journalism in the pacific, weddings and food were mostly reported on while climate change and the environment were not a priority. Ms Jackson’s survey was carried out in newspapers produced across five of the pacific island countries.
“This was a curious finding, although unsurprising, as you would think climate change would be a priority issue for pacific island newspapers seeing that they are experiencing first and worst some of the impacts of climate change and you would think their audiences would be interested in the issue.”
Ms Jackson also attributed the low numbers of communicating climate science to three challenges which included the lack of science knowledge by journalists, the need for scientists to communicate information clearly to the media and the lack of access to climate change resources in pacific island countries.
She also quoted a study done by anthropologist Dr Peter Rudiak-Gould on the changing behaviour of the people of Marshall Islands towards climate change as saying that concern for climate change isn’t automatic, even for those in the highly vulnerable areas.
She said according to the research, foreign educators can help by teaching people about the science of climate change but only local educators can help people make sense of the issue in terms of local concerns such as loss of tradition.
Ms Jackson also made a few suggestions when communicating science which include simplifying the science for non specialists to understand, but not to point of irrelavance and not to use jargon.
She also suggested scientists to localise, and humanise the information so that people could understand better.

PADJ invited to speak at regional climate change conference

APIA - Founding Member of PADJ, Samoan climate change journalist Cherelle Jackson was invited to speak at the Lessons for Future Actions meeting on Climate Change in Apia last month. Jackson was the only media representative to speak at the meeting, she spoke on translating the science of climate change to Pacific audiences.

PADJ News: Mona Ainuu awarded SPREP Fellowship

APIA - Niue Journalist and PADJ Fouding Member Mona Ainuu was recently awarded an assignment fellowship with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, to report on the Lessons for Future Actions on Climate Change in Samoa. Mona was one of just two regional journalists sponsored by SPREP to cover the event.

View Niue Election Results

PADJ has set up a page of the latest in the Niue Elections, uploaded and reported by our members in Niue. Visit Special Coverage: Niue Elections to follow the news stream.

Niue Elections: Drumming Up Support on Niue

Niue Blog - The dash to impress voters is on. In the last few days lead-up to the islands general election several candidates have purchased TV air time. Promises include baby payments, annual cost of living  adjustments for public servants and more money allocated for health, education and alternative energy projects. Popular marketing methods include T-shirts, brochures and posters.None of the 17 common roll nor village candidates withdrew from the contest during the statutory time allowed. Broadcasting Corporation Niue is offering candidates a 1-5min one-off advertisment free but additional broadcasts must be paid for.
Polling booths will be set up in each village around the island and open Saturday May 7th 9am to 6pm.