Regional Programs: Training
Child Rights .
Public Health (in particular HIV/AIDS) . Environment
. Gender and Social Justice . Archive
Regional Training Courses
18.
Barbados, April 1994
Theme(s) Sustainable development of small islands.
Community and the environment.
Length 2 hours.
Target Group
Journalists, NGO and Government representatives from the island regions.
Objectives
To ensure immediate, well-informed coverage of the Global Conference on SIDS in the regional media.
To provide a basis for journalists to cover such issues for their media outlets in future.
To launch the CANARI/Panos series of case studies on Community and the Environment.
Context
UN Global Conference for the Sustainable Development of SIDS and the NGO Island Forum (Barbados, 25 April - 6 May 1994).
CANARI/Panos series of case studies.
Participants
60 participants: journalists, NGO and government representatives.
Female/ Male Ratio: N/A.
Working Methodology and Activities
A panel discussion was organized by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and Panos. The launch of the case study series "Community and the Environment: lessons from the Caribbean" was a main vehicle for discussion on concrete experiences. The Panos Media Briefing was widely distributed the Conference and Forum, at this seminar as well as during other meetings. Panos also had an exhibition booth during the events.
Additionally, Panos provided fellowships to 3 journalists (TV from Jamaica, print from St. Lucia and radio from Grenada) to attend and cover the 3-weeks of events. There were 5 other CERN members participating.
Documentation Used
Panos Media Briefing: "Small Island Developing States: the case for international action".
First three case studies in the series "Community and the Environment: lessons from the Caribbean".
Results
The three journalists who received fellowships filed a number of reports.
A great amount of information was disseminated during the media briefing seminar. The series on community and the environment was successfully launched.
Evaluation by Participants
The three journalists indicated that covering the Conference has enhanced their professional development. They explored further options for covering environment and development issues. Additionally, they benefitted from extensive networking.
Lessons Learned and Recommendations
Fellowships to be incorporated in CERN network and activity development, since all journalists became important "national resource persons" in their countries.
Launching seminars with concrete case studies works well to achieve
wider information objectives.
18. Bridgetown, Barbados, April 1994. Panos Media
Briefing Seminar at the UN Global Conference on the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
(SIDS).
International meetings provide unique opportunities
to enhance responsible reporting on misunderstood issues,
and to make them more relevant to ordinary citizens.
Over the years, Panos has organized a number of short
media briefing seminars during large international conferences
and meetings. These briefing seminars provide background
information to journalists on conference topics, news
pegs and participants that would be relevant for interviews.
Additionally, such seminars include guidelines on methods
and techniques to improve coverage on the issues under
consideration.
Often Panos aims to accompany this approach with awarding
fellowships to journalists from developing countries.
Media houses in developing countries very rarely have
the financial resources to dispatch reporters to international
events held in other countries. The result is that coverage
is done by Northern journalists and focusses on Northern
audiences and perspectives. The provision of fellowships
to journalists from developing countries ensures broader
media coverage of the meetings in the home countries
and possibly beyond.
Large conferences are rarely organized in the Caribbean
and Central American region. The UN Global Conference
on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States, 25 April - 6 May 1994 in Barbados, with its
accompanying NGO Island Forum, provided a unique opportunity.
In advance of the events, Panos prepared and disseminated
a media briefing document on the conference issues.
The document, written by a Caribbean journalist, was
very well received by media practitioners covering the
conference, as well as by NGO representatives.
In collaboration with the Caribbean Natural Resources
Institute (CANARI), Panos simultaneously prepared the
first three case studies in the series "Community and
the Environment: Lessons from the Caribbean". These
case studies present successful examples and possible
models for community participation in natural resource
management.
Panos supported the participation of three journalists
(one each from radio, print and TV). In addition to
filing daily reports reports for their own media houses,
all three participated in pool coverage for the entire
region, through the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU)
and the Caribbean News Agency (CANA).
The media briefing seminar, first planned in conjunction
with the UN Liaison Office, was co-organized with CANARI
and took place during the NGO Forum. Presentations were
made by representatives of the Carib nation in Dominica,
a youth environmental group in St. Vincent, a community
group in American Samoa, CANARI and Panos. The series
of case studies was launched at the seminar.
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