As part of the Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP), co-organized by EJN and the Stanley Center, 30 Fellows have been chosen to cover the COP, from a record number of nearly 600 applications. This year’s fellows, the 16th fellowship cohort of the CCMP, will be supported by seven media trainers at the summit.
Twenty fellows reporting on the ground in Dubai will participate in orientation activities, daily briefings, interviews with high-level officials, and other interactions to inform and facilitate quality reporting on developments and outcomes at COP28. Five Fellows from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and five from Lower Mekong countries will cover COP28 remotely, with opportunities for mentorship, networking, and virtual interviews with officials at the conference.
EJN, along with Panos London and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), formed the CCMP in 2007 to enable journalists from low- and middle-income countries to attend and report from the annual UN climate summits. The fellowship aims to improve public awareness of UN negotiations and climate targets in nations that bear the brunt of climate change despite contributing relatively little to global emissions, ensuring communities have access to the information they need from sources they trust to engage with these multilateral processes and hold their governments accountable to their climate commitments.
This year marks the fifth time the Stanley Center and EJN have collaborated on the CCMP fellowship program. Since launching in 2007, the CCMP has supported more than 400 journalists to report on location from the annual UN climate summit.
In addition, for the first time this year, Internews’ Middle East and North Africa team with support from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) will bring three journalists and three local partners from Iraq to the summit from December 4-11, 2023. Internews' Health Journalism Network, with support from the Wellcome Trust, is bringing five journalism fellows to COP28, to facilitate access to scientists and experts working at the intersection of climate and health.
Look out for stories and updates from these journalists on the EJN website as they cover COP28 for their home audiences.
Note: In recognition of the emissions produced by air travel, the Earth Journalism Network has committed to purchasing carbon offsets to reduce its impact when staff and Fellows must travel as part of their work, which we believe is essential in this case. Although offsets may not be an ideal solution, we do carefully review and verify that the organizations from which we choose to procure them meet international standards. When possible, we aim to support projects in regions and communities where we regularly work. These efforts are in line with broader Internews' policy and commitment to the environment.
