Regional Programs: Training
Child Rights .
Public Health (in particular HIV/AIDS) . Environment
. Gender and Social Justice . Archive
Regional Training Courses
8.
Costa Rica, April 1991
Theme(s) Environmental investigative journalism in two areas: Talamanca and Caño Negro.
Length Planned for 4 days, plus 1 return day for presentations.
Target Group
15-20 local journalists from TV, radio and print.
Objectives
To provide journalists with access to research and ecological sites.
To provide journalists with access to sources of information on environmental issues.
Context
Meeting was organized within joint environmental information programme of IUCN and Panos. The Costa Rican representatives to REPAC requested this national training workshop for journalists.
Participants
Only 1 reporter showed up, although 12 media houses accepted the invitation and 4 confirmed.
Female/ Male Ratio: 1/0
Working Methodology and Activities
This was a production workshop based on field information (access to ecological sites and community sources of information). This format was designed based on the difficulties of local journalists to find time and opportunities to visit rural areas.
Introduction to general concepts: sustainable development; wildlife conservation; management of tropical forest (1 day). Field trips (3 days). Elaboration (period back at the job). Presentation/review/evaluation (1 day).
Documentation Used
IUCN materials, including a paper on forest management.
Results
WWorkshop was a failure because only one participant showed up (who produced a video for broadcast by Channel 2).
One of the field sites to be visited was cancelled. Two resource persons reverted to participant mode and covered issues for their magazines.
The presentation day was cancelled.
Evaluation by Participants
N/A
Lessons Learned and Recommendations
Part of the failure came from the lack of a thorough assessment of media training needs rather than requests by individual REPAC members (real versus perceived needs).
Other reasons included: (1) a national holiday that week; (2)
accommodations and field work too basic; (3) Conservation International
convened the weekend before an environment seminar in a luxury resort;
(4) preparation did not include personal "promotion" visits to media
houses.
8. Costa Rica, 8-11 April 1991. IUCN/Panos Investigative
Journalism Production Workshop.
IUCN and Panos consulted with Costan Rican REPAC members
on the type of media training workshop that would be
most beneficial. Costa Rica already had a high level
of environmental consciousness and press coverage. For
the last four years, with national organizations, IUCN
had convened environmental journalist training workshops.
However, access to rural areas remained a problem. Therefore,
the logical step for this workshop would be to produce
media outputs based on local information. It was perceived
that Costa Rican reporters needed not so much journalism
training as access to ecological sites and sources of
information.
The objective of the workshop therefore was to take
journalists to sites where they would learn from scientists
and local population first-hand about the issues. The
programme of the workshop was prepared by a group of
IUCN technicians: The first day, at the IUCN offices,
would consist of an inauguration, and orientation on
IUCN, its mission, projects and teamwork with partners
in government, NGOs, academia, etc. For the next three
days (9-11 April), it was planned that the participants
split into two groups: one group would go to Talamanca,
the other to Caño Negro.
Issues that could be researched in Caño Negro included:
management and conservation of wildlife; tropical forests;
community relations (ecotourism, groups of female fishermen);
binational relations (technical exchange with Los Guatusos);
related research and governance.
For Talamanca, issues included: forest products (medicinal
and ornamental plants); inventory and management of
forests; management of wildlife; community collaboration
projects; adult education; ecotourism.
The following week (15-20 April), journalists would
return to their respective places of work to assemble
their products. The presentation, review and evaluation
of the final products was planned for 20 April.
However, only one reporter attended and two resource
people reverted to journalist roles. In addition to
various coincidental factors (see table), this was based
on misinterpreted (perceived) needs. The failure of
the workshop taught Panos and IUCN to be much more careful
on how to respond to media and NGO information and training
requests. A diagnosis or needs assessment was initiated
directly following the workshop, through visiting media
and NGO directors. Panos research focused on issues
such as: maintaining media contacs through local staff;
concentrating training on responsible media reporting
or on media awareness for scientists and conservationists;
the role of Panos and its partners regarding being inforamtion
brokers between NGOs and the media; transfer of training
methodologies from one part of the region to another;
etc.
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