ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts

Barriers that environmental journalists face in Macedonia

By Natasha

DokovskaGreen accord media Forum

November 2016, Frosinone

Journalists have means to make the world better and more flexible and to make the liv-ing environment better for ev-eryone

Michael Frome, environment writer and advocate

Environmental writing reaches deeper with beginning, middle, and end integrally joined. It thinks not simply of Who, What, When, Where, Why and How, but of species instead of an animal, a forest instead of a tree.

…some data about journalists in Macedonia

In the country with 2 million population we have 7 daily news paper, dozen TV station with national consecions and more than 50 radio station, most of them on local level. Media diversity YES, but NO freedom of expres-sionMacedonia is a country where journalists are still in prison, where the media are being shut and own-ers arrested, intimidation and blackmail of journ-alistsThey often face greater difficulties

A recent research by Journalists for Human Rights in Macedonia found that journalists in Macedonia work under pressure and they are afraid to do their job.Related to environmental journalists, at the moment we have only 3-5 journalists for which we can say that are environmental journalists. If in second half in the nineties of the last century Macedonia was lead in environmental journalism in region, today is on the last place.

On TV there is no environ-mental programme.Only 2 radios stations once a week have environ-mental programme.Only one daily newspaper produces weekly envir-onmental review.

Environmental journalism in Macedonia

In the period of 3 months was ed-itedOnly 5 article concerning envir-onment•3 was on topic of climate change, one about deforestation and one concerning local topic on air pol-lution•The mostly used word was ad-aptation and mitigation

…But, don’t forget

Studies have shown that environ-mental journalists start their car-rier very early. In Macedonia only young journalists, let’s say beginners have a “chance” to be environmental journalists. (ev-eryone else want to cover politics)They are less paid, not motivated and they don’t receive chance to ad-vance.

If in second half in the 1990s of the last century Macedonia was leading in envir-onmental journalism

in the region, today is on the last place.

Obstacles environmental journalists face

EJ face a lot of difficulties in access to the information They are not paid equally, as journalists that cover other sectors. They are facing higher risk of being sued (environmental legal aid doesn’t exist in MK).The lack knowledge of the topic.EJ have non chance to network, exchange idea and knowledge with colleagues from the region.

Causes

Media privatisationChasing sensationalismControlled editorial policy (NGO’ as source for stories)Unqualified journalistsNot dignified, but popular profession

Solutions…

To mobilize as many young journalists to treat the envir-onmentTo educateTo educate the editors and owners of media to seriously understand the environmental topic

Frank Allen, Ex-Wall Street Journal writer

“Environmental sto-ries don’t break, they ooze.”

Thank you ))

www.jhrmk.org