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Latest EJN Research Highlights the Need for Climate Science Training to Combat Misinformation in Iraq, Morocco and Yemen

smoke billowing from a smoke stack

In early 2024, EJN and Internews’ Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Program embarked on a research project to explore the state of climate change reporting and the effects of climate mis/disinformation in the MENA region. 

The report is available in English and Arabic and follows  the release of similar EJN-supported research from 2023, which looked into climate mis/disinformation in East Africa. It examines the media landscape in three countries: Iraq, Yemen and Morocco.

cover of report
 Download the English report now.

Iraq, Morocco and Yemen were chosen as representative case studies for this report for several reasons:  Internews and EJN have wide networks on the ground there, people speak diverse languages (Arabic, Kurdish, French, Amazigh and more) and they face challenges across their media landscape, from the dominance of state-run media, to constraints to free expression (all three countries are at the bottom half of the Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index, with Iraq at 169, Yemen at 154 and Morocco at 129.)

Along with their neighbors in the MENA region, these countries are one of the most vulnerable to climate change, and likely to have the highest average temperature increases of any region, according to UNICEF. In a region already struggling with food and water insecurity, the impacts of extreme heat and more frequent and intense natural disasters will continue to exacerbate existing challenges.

Climate journalism plays an important role in raising awareness of these current and future challenges, highlighting policy solutions designed to mitigate impacts and build resilience in local communities, as well as informing the public about the science—and causes—driving these phenomena. 

Yet there is little in-depth research on the perspectives of MENA-based journalists reporting on the climate, especially regarding the constraints that limit their work, their understanding of climate mis/disinformation, and its prevalence and impact.

For instance, confusion surrounding the causes and impacts of Morocco’s 2023 earthquake was everywhere, and in Yemen, recent rumors that solar power drains the sun’s energy had to be debunked by Sidq Yemen, a fact-checking website.

cover of report in arabic
 Download the Arabic report now.

Through an online survey with 185 journalist respondents, four focus group discussions with 51 journalists and 13 key informant interviews, journalists and editors in the three countries were asked about their reporting practices and knowledge of climate change, the information sources they trust and do not trust, their experiences of harassment and their grasp of mis/disinformation.  

Lead researcher Khaled Sulaiman developed the survey based on lessons learned from the previous report focused on East Africa, and Internews and EJN staff distributed it to their networks. In parallel, Sulaiman worked with local researchers in each country, as well as data analyst Charif Sada, to conduct and analyze interviews and focus groups.

“This research reveals a great need to fill knowledge gaps in climate-related journalistic coverage—journalists in the MENA region grapple with a lack of reliable data and scientific knowledge, hampering their ability to convey a clear picture to the general public,” said Khaled Sulaiman, the report’s lead researcher.

“The study reveals that a lack of funding and investment has severely limited climate coverage in the region," added Sulaiman. "This prompts us—and we hope, other involved stakeholders—to consider how best to prepare a new generation of journalists to accurately inform their audiences about one of the most pressing issues of our time.” 

The findings were illuminating: 

  • In the survey, most journalists reported they rely on climate scientists and local and national governments for their climate reporting. However, only 23% of respondents rated government sources as reliable—in interviews and focus groups, researchers learned that journalists are aware of this contradiction yet often feel forced to rely on government data as they have no other sources of information in Arabic.
  • Around two-thirds of surveyed journalists believe that they need to “balance” sources who claim that climate change is happening and being caused by humans with sources who are skeptical of these claims.
  • A quarter of respondents indicated that climate change is a natural phenomenon, in opposition to the global scientific consensus. Around a third of surveyed journalists also believe that climate change is the will of God.
  • A third of respondents had experienced harassment or threats while reporting on climate change. The most common type of harassment across all three countries was online harassment at 83%. Only in Yemen were legal threats and verbal abuse experienced at a higher frequency than the other countries, at 88% and 100%, respectively. 
  • Finally, 78% of Moroccan journalists recognized that climate change impacts political stability and internal conflict, compared to 66% in Iraq and 45% in Yemen. 

Above all, the findings demonstrated that journalists are struggling, and climate media in all three countries is strapped for resources. The report identifies four primary challenges: the scarcity of reliable information in Arabic from international bodies, the inaccessibility and unreliability of information from local governments and national institutions, a lack of media capacity (including a limited understanding of climate science) and the absence of tailored training programs aimed at addressing these challenges.

But there is potential for change: Over 90% of surveyed journalists in all three countries expressed interest in receiving training on climate change as well as training on identifying and reporting on climate mis/disinformation specifically. 

The report also made several key recommendations for journalists, journalist networks, newsrooms and funders to consider, including: 

  • Given that political instability and conflict is a reality for many journalists in the region, journalists should underscore the environmental and climate impacts of war for their audiences, including the inability of governments to respond to climate change when grappling with conflict.  
  • Media outlets and journalist networks should develop and enforce in-depth safety and security policies for their reporters, outlining best practices for reporting in challenging environments.  
  • Training on digital and physical security practices is urgently needed to protect journalists who debunk climate misinformation coming from local, national or international actors, and enable them to hold governments and the private sector accountable.
  • Funding organizations need to prioritize support for training opportunities that teach journalists the science behind climate change, as well as imparting journalism techniques to report on it. 
  • Funders and journalism support organizations who do not normally translate data, documents and resources to Arabic should ensure accurate translation of complex climate change information to Arabic and other relevant local languages.

As a pilot study, the report also highlights the need for additional research to contextualize the findings and investigate the sources, scale and types of mis/disinformation that are prevalent, including exposing bad actors, identifying the ways in which misinformation spreads and investigating the intersections between regional geopolitical conflicts and climate mis/disinformation.

To launch the report, EJN and Internews’ MENA Program held a webinar in Arabic on September 30, where Sulaiman presented the research findings and led a discussion with several experts, including Rawan Damen, the director of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism; independent Yemeni journalist Afrah Nasser; and Zyna Mejri, the founder of Falso.tn, Tunisia’s first independent fact-checking platform.

Watch the recording in Arabic and English.


Banner image: A smokestack / Credit: Martin Adams via Unsplash.