RAWALPINDI: Fatima Jinnah Women University convened a seminar on Tuesday on the topic, ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis’, to highlight the critical nexus between journalism and environmental challenges.
Climate activists and senior journalists underscored the collective responsibility of 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.
They mentioned that climate change control and management is a collective responsibility and should be dealt with across the board instead of just by newspaper organisations and journalists.
The seminar featured two insightful rounds of discussions, with the first round dedicated to academic perspectives on the climate change.
Antony Kar Hung Tam, Officer in Charge of Unesco Islamabad, emphasised the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to combating climate change. Hadia Usman, a scholar, presented research on anthropogenic climate change and climate displacement, emphasising the urgent need for legal protection for those affected by climate-related disasters.
Ms. 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 the mainstream media’s framing of climate news, stressing the importance of context and relevance in reporting.
In the second round, the speakers underscored that in the age of social media, young people should raise their voice and advocate for saving this planet, as they are the ones who will suffer in the long run.
Fatima Jinnah Women University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Uzaira Rafique emphasised the importance of utilising new mediums and platforms to raise awareness while stressing the paramount importance of responsibility and accuracy in media coverage.
Hamza Khan, from 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.
The expert panel, moderated by renowned climate change activist Afia Salam, featured distinguished panellists including Media Development Expert Aftab Alam, Senior Climate Journalist Fouzia Shahid, Member of the PM’s advisory body Aisha Khan,the Chairwoman of the Children and Youth Advisory Board on Climate Change Mahnoor, and the National Climate Change Council.
Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2024
