Earth Shorts: Supporting Content Producers to Create Climate-Focused Posts on Social Media
In the past two decades, the shift from traditional to digital media has transformed how news and information are disseminated, accessed and experienced. Recently, new challenges in the information space have emerged: people are increasingly getting news and information from social media amidst growing distrust in mainstream news media and the proliferation of smart phones and applications; climate/environmental news avoidance is growing; and mis/disinformation on climate change and other environmental themes is widespread. These challenges are particularly salient to Asia, which currently accounts for 60% of the world’s social media users.
Information consumers, particularly young people, are turning to social media content producers for information they trust, as they are seen as authentic and relatable information sources.
As this policy brief notes, social media influencers can shape political decisions, engage their followers on civic issues and motivate action. On the other hand, under pressure from platform algorithms to produce frequent and "clickbaity" content, and often ill-equipped with factchecking skills—particularly relevant when discussing science-based issues such as climate impacts and solutions—they are both vulnerable to and can also be disseminators of mis- and disinformation when engaging with their followers.
In view of these challenges and opportunities, EJN's new pilot project aims to strengthen the quality of actionable climate information on social media platforms—and consequently, deepen public engagement with local, national and regional climate issues. We aim to do so by strengthening the climate knowledge and resources of social media content producers who are active on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X or other leading social media platforms, create content related to lifestyle, social issues, travel, science, economy, politics, and health, and are interested in linking their work to climate and environmental issues.
As part of this program, we awarded grant funding to selected social media content producers in the Philippines, led a four-day in-person training workshop on climate change and climate resilience and, with support from mentors, will support the production of climate-related video content, which fellows will share with their followers on social media in the coming months.
There are two intermediate objectives associated with the goal:
- Increase social media content producers’ knowledge of climate change and their access to credible climate-related data sources and thematic expertise.
- Strengthen the capacity and resources of social media content producers to create engaging climate change information in short-form video content format for social media.
The initiative will be implemented as a proof of concept for EJN, with a view to scaling it up in the near future.
Banner image: Dale Israel of One News PH reports live in Pamilacan Island in Bohol Province, Philippines / Credit: Abigail Abigan.