WATCH: The State of Environmental Journalism Seminar at AIJC 2020

The Africa-China Reporting Project hosted two sessions within the African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) programme this year; the State of Environmental Journalism Seminar on 15 October and the annual Africa-China Journalism Forum on 29 October.

The State of Environmental Journalism Seminar was moderated by Bongiwe Tutu, Africa-China Reporting Project Assistant Project Coordinator. The Seminar followed the Online Environmental Workshop which was held in partnership with China Dialogue in September 2020, providing environmental reporting skills and knowledge to 20 journalists from Africa and China who were also invited to attend and participate in AIJC2020. The following environmental journalists were selected to participate in the State of Environmental Journalism Seminar to share their expertise on the current and post-COVID-19 state of environmental journalism:

• SHI YI (China) – Environmental journalist in China, and Researcher for China Dialogue (How covid-19 is changing the outlook for wildlife poaching and trafficking stories)
• COLLINS MTIKA (Malawi) – Senior Investigative Journalist at the Centre for Investigative Journalism in Malawi (Difficulties for African newsrooms to undertake environmental investigations amid the pandemic)
• LIAM LEE (China) – the Chief international desk correspondent at Ta Kung Pao Daily, in China (The outlook for Chinese reporting on environmental challenges in Africa)
• NESIA MHAKA (Zimbabwe) – Environmental Correspondent at the Herald in Zimbabwe (Environmental investigations in Africa amid the pandemic), and
• CRYSTAL CHOW (China) – Communications Manager at APAC, Journalist and Climate Communicator in China (The outlook for environmental journalism post COVID-19)

About the State of Environmental Journalism Seminar:

COVID-19 has had a far-reaching impact on journalism around the world. What has been the impact on environmental journalism, a topic of no less importance to the planet, and what is the outlook post-COVID-19? This seminar features African and Chinese journalists discussing this issue in light of the following questions: What practical challenges have environmental journalists faced during the pandemic? Have journalists been able to undertake any environment-related investigations? Have environmental stories become harder to pitch and undertake in the face of other investigative priorities? What is the current state of the environmental journalism and the outlook post-COVID-19? How can environmental journalism post-COVID-19 assist in realising a more sustainable relationship with nature and a more sustainable mode of development?

The AIJC is organised by the Journalism Department of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Conference is Africa’s biggest annual gathering of working journalists, it is an opportunity to share great African work, learn new skills, hear how it is done and share lessons and experiences.