Virtual Media Workshop on the 30x30 Target and Marine Protected Areas
EJN is hosting a three-day virtual media workshop (in two time zones) during the week of March 3, 2025 for journalists in coastal countries to learn about the 30x30 marine conservation target and initiatives being implemented to reach it.
Please read the following sections carefully, as they contain important information on eligibility and the application process.
Overview
In December 2022, more than 190 countries committed to achieve ‘30x30’ under target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework. This target calls for the effective protection and management of 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, by the year 2030.
Yet summits since then have made it clear the world is not on track to meet this target. In fact, so far countries have only fully or highly protected 2.9% of our oceans, far from the 30% target.
As part of EJN’s Ocean Media Initiative, we are pleased to announce two virtual media workshops for journalists in coastal countries globally seeking to deepen their knowledge of the 30x30 target, to improve their reporting on solutions being implemented to reach the target, and equip their audiences with the information they need to hold governments accountable to their commitments.
Journalists who participate in the workshop will:
Gain a better understanding of the 30x30 target;
Gain a better understanding of marine conservation strategies, including Marine Protected Areas and other area-based conservation mechanisms, regulations to reduce illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, newly developed tools like the 30x30 Progress Tracker and more.
Understand best practices and journalistic techniques for covering the progress toward 30x30, including how to use accountability journalism to monitor actions taken by governments and other decision-making entities;
Learn about equitable marine conservation and the extent to which biodiversity conservation efforts recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities over their traditional territories;
Become more familiar with national and international policies and commitments related to marine conservation and the implementation of the 30x30 target.
After the training, we expect that the journalists will be better equipped to convey the latest threats, developments and solutions to achieve the protection of 30% of marine areas, deepening pressure on policymakers to accelerate and uphold their conservation commitments.
The workshops will be held at two separate times and tailored to support journalists in different time zones. This project is supported by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.
Themes
The workshop will cover topics such as:
How MPAs are designated using marine spatial planning
The stages of establishing an MPA and the different levels of protection
Participatory approaches in implementing and monitoring MPAs
Cultural landscape approaches and the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in marine conservation
MPAs and the High Seas Treaty
Debates on the effectiveness of protected areas for conservation
Technologies such as satellites, remote sensing, eDNA and artificial intelligence for the effective management of MPAs.
National and international policy negotiations and instruments to achieve the 30 x 30 target
Best practices in accountability, data and solutions journalism to enhance reporting on this issue
Approaches to improve audience engagement with marine conservation issues
The sessions will be structured as part-presentation and part-discussion. Journalists will learn from researchers, policymakers, civil society organizations and local communities working on marine conservation and the 30x30 target.
The final agenda of the workshop will be shared with selected participants in February 2025.
Eligibility
Applicants can be from coastal countries anywhere in the world. We will not accept applications from countries with a freshwater coast; only coastal countries with a marine border will be considered.
For the purposes of this training opportunity, we will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must have a working understanding of English to participate in and fully benefit from the workshop.
Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other media practitioners with experience covering ocean issues.
We welcome applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations – community-based, local national and international. We especially encourage women, rural, Indigenous and early-career journalists to apply.
Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, submitting AI-generated content as their own.
Logistics
We plan to accept approximately 60 participants for the two workshops, with approximately 30 in each. Successful applicants will be notified in February.
The workshops will take place virtually on Zoom over three days in March 2025, with 3 hours of training sessions each day. The workshop for journalists in Asia and the Pacific will be held from 9am-12pm Bangkok time, while the other will be held from 10am-1pm New York time for those in the Americas, Europe and Africa. Participants will be automatically placed into the workshop that best aligns with their location. While we strive to choose a time that works for as many time zones as we can, it is possible the timing of the workshop will be early in the morning or late at night for certain applicants. Please take this into consideration when applying.
To ensure these workshops are accessible, EJN will offer a limited number of communications stipends to those with an unstable internet connection in remote areas.
Participants who attend all sessions will receive a certificate of completion from EJN.
Participants who attend all three days of the workshop will also be eligible to apply for a story grant to produce journalistic work following the workshop, which will be awarded to 16 journalists.
Information on story grants: EJN seeks to award 16 grants to journalists to support in-depth reporting on the commitments made by governments related to 30x30 as well as initiatives that could help countries reach it. Applications from workshop participants will receive priority consideration.
The grant can fund travel costs, reporter stipends, multimedia elements and more. Besides funding, grantees will receive 1-1 editorial mentorship from an experienced journalist and training on how to repackage their reporting for social media to reach a wider audience.
Grantees will be chosen through a competitive selection process and will have from May to October 31, 2025 to broadcast or publish their reporting. Stories can be published or aired in any language. More information will be provided during the workshop.
Application process
Click the 'Apply now' button at the top of the page.
If you have an existing account, you'll need to log in. Since we recently updated our website, you might have to reset your password by clicking the “Forgot password?” link in the log in page. If you don’t have an account, you must register by clicking “Log in” on the top right of the page and click the “Sign up” link at the bottom of the page that opens. Click here for detailed instructions on how to create an account, and here for detailed instructions on how to reset your password.
If you start the application and want to come back and complete it later, you can click 'Save Draft.' To return to the draft, you'll need to go back to the opportunity and click 'Apply now' again to finalize the application.
If you encounter difficulties with submitting your application or have questions about the grants, please email [email protected]. Do not contact any other Internews email regarding this opportunity, as we will not receive it.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Banner image: Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea. Approximately 72% of the Ross Sea is protected within a “General Protection Zone” where no commercial fishing is allowed, making it the largest marine protected area in the world / Credit: John B. Weller for The Pew Charitable Trusts via Flickr.