More climate and biodiversity in the media. This is the call launched by more than 500 journalists, Wednesday, September 14, after a summer marked by violent demonstrations of global warming in France. To improve the media coverage of these crucial issues, in quantity and quality, they have developed a charter “for journalism at the height of the ecological emergency”, which they present to you in this forum published on franceinfo.fr. They express themselves here freely.
An unprecedented succession of heat waves severely tested our organisms and biodiversity, a record drought deprived dozens of towns of water and destroyed crops, the first French megafires razed forests and evacuated entire villages, torrential rains, floods and deadly storms have devastated territories… This summer offered a broad glimpse of a world overheated by human activities.
And yet.
“How many articles, radio or television subjects have made the link between these events and the upheaval in the climate? Have explained how to reduce the emissions which are at the origin? Or how to adapt our societies to the upheavals in progress and coming ?”
The signatories of the tribuneon franceinfo.fr
At a time when the climate is racing, certain journalistic practices are out of step with the facts: images of children playing in the water to illustrate deadly heat waves; the promotion of low-cost and long-distance flights, when the plane is one of the drivers of global warming; the eternal call to “small gestures”without calling into question the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
The shortcomings of part of the profession do not go unnoticed: 53% of French people believe that the media do not give enough space to the environment and the climate; a third judge “anxiety inducing” Where “catastrophist” the treatment of these subjects. More than half would like a story “constructive” and “provider of solutions”according to a 2021 Viavoice study.
“The media’s poor treatment of climate and biodiversity-related topics seriously harms democratic debate.”
The signatories of the tribuneon franceinfo.fr
As the IPCC experts pointed out in their latest report, the media “frame and convey information about climate change. They have a crucial role in shaping public perception, understanding and willingness to act”. Citizens’ lack of information on these crucial issues prevents them from making informed choices and delays action, at a time when, more than ever, societies must mobilize to stem the climate crisis and adapt to its worst effects. As greenwashing, misleading solutions and false information flourish, the responsibility of journalists is immense.
Fortunately, thanks to warnings from scientists and calls from civil society, the lines are moving. In the four corners of the globe, the profession is organizing to face this major challenge. Since 2015, English-language media have joined forces to expand editorial lines with climate-related topics; in April 2022, German-speaking journalists published a climate journalism charter. In France, newsrooms are opening up to training in ecological issues; new programs and formats are born, in small media as in the most installed; schools are working to better equip their young shoots.
To speed up this process, journalists of good will, from all media and all specialties, have come together to write a “charter for journalism commensurate with the ecological emergency” for their peers. Link between climate, biodiversity and social justice, pedagogy, orders of magnitude, exposure of greenwashing, editorial independence of newsrooms vis-à-vis their owners, right to training…
“In 13 points, this charter, thought of as a compass, offers benchmarks and invites everyone, specialists and non-specialists, to question their practices.”
The signatories of the tribuneon franceinfo.fr
To date, more than 400 professionals and editors have signed it and dozens of scientists and personalities from all walks of life support it.
We invite you, dear colleagues and fellow journalists, editors-in-chief and managing editors to take advantage of this document in order to collectively improve the media coverage of these crucial issues for current and future generations. And to allow citizens and their representatives to make choices – individual and collective – that guarantee the preservation of good living conditions on Earth.
>> The charter for journalism commensurate with the ecological emergency is available at this address.
The signatories of the rostrum and co-authors of the charter :
Loup Espargilière, Green the media
Juliette Quef, Green the media
Anne-Sophie Novel, freelance journalist, vice-president of Journalists for Nature and Ecology
Sophie Roland, freelance journalist, trainer
Hervé Kempf, Reporter
Laury-Anne Cholez, Reporterre
Thomas Baïetto, franceinfo.fr
Millie Servant, Climax
Steven Jambot, RFI
Julien Le Bot, freelance journalist, author-director and Samsa.fr innovation manager
Paloma Moritz, Blast
Laurie Debove, Succession and the Plague
Lucile Berland, freelance journalist
Philippe Vion-Dury, Social worker
Carine Mayo, general secretary of Journalists writers for nature and ecology
Camille Adaoust, franceinfo.fr
Sandrine Feydel, France 2 and France 3
Lauren Boudard, Climax
Rafaele Brillaud, Graduate School of Journalism of Lille
Dan Geiselhart, Climax
An approach supported by:
Christophe Cassou, climatologist, author of the IPCC
Wolfgang Cramer, geographer, author of the IPCC
Cyril Dion, director
François Gemenne, geopolitical scientist, author of the IPCC
Philippe Grandcolas, ecologist, research director at the CNRS
Céline Guivarch, economist, author of the IPCC, member of the High Council for the Climate
Jean Jouzel, climatologist, former author of the IPCC
Gonéri Le Cozannet, geologist, author of the Giec
Benoit Leguet, director of I4CE, member of the High Council for the Climate
Valérie Masson-Delmotte, climatologist, co-president of Group 1 of the IPCC, member of the High Council for the Climate
Philippe Quirion, economist at the CNRS
Magali Reghezza-Zitt, geographer, member of the High Council for the Climate
Jean-Baptiste Sallée, climatologist, author of the IPCC
Yamina Saheb, economist, author of the IPCC
Roland Séférian, climatologist, former author of the IPCC
Marc-André Selosse, biologist, professor at the Museum of Natural History
Sophie Szopa, atmospheric chemist, author of the IPCC