By Atoyebi Nike
Media professionals from across Nigeria have been urged to embrace a new ethical framework for climate journalism that prioritises truth, accuracy, and public service over false balance and sensationalism.
The call was made during a three-day media training workshop held from October 21 to 23, 2025, in Kaduna, organised by the Bridge That Gap Initiative. The workshop, themed “Strengthening Journalism and Reporting on Climate-Related Issues: Focus on Deforestation,” challenged journalists to rethink traditional practices and reframe their approach to climate storytelling.
Facilitator Michael Simire an urban planner and Editor-in-Chief of EnviroNews delivered five presentations covering modules such as “Investigative Reporting Techniques,” “Ethics and Challenges in Climate Journalism,” and “Storytelling and Media Engagement.”
Simire underscored that ethical climate reporting must reject the notion of giving equal weight to climate deniers, describing such practice as misleading and harmful. “Journalists should platform the scientific consensus and, if necessary, frame denial as a political or ideological counterfactual, not a legitimate scientific debate,” he said.
He warned that misinformation and coordinated “climate delay” tactics were undermining public trust, urging reporters to combat corporate greenwashing with data-driven investigations. Participants were also trained on using Freedom of Information laws, protecting whistleblowers through encrypted tools like Signal and ProtonMail, and safely navigating the risks of reporting on powerful extractive industries.
The workshop also stressed message framing and audience engagement, encouraging journalists to employ relatable narratives and “solutions journalism” to balance urgency with hope. By highlighting communities already creating local climate solutions, participants were told, reporters can motivate action rather than despair.
“Climate journalism is a critical public service that cuts across all beats from the economy to health. Upholding integrity is not just about facts; it is essential for democracy and a livable planet,” Simire said in his closing remarks.
