Reporter Adroaldo “Saretukau”
International Media Support (IMS) supported by UNESCO held a bootcamp in Cipanas, Indonesia for journalists from Southeast Asia on “Environment and Climate Change Media Reporting”.
The IMS Senior Strategic Adviser, Henrik Grunnet said, “the reason for the bootcamp is to give journalists tools to be capable of reporting better about the environment and climate change. We need the media to report differently because we are not aware today what they can do and how serious the situation is.”
Henrik said, the reason to invite Timorese journalist to participate in Bootcamp because, he has read about the situation in Timor-Leste from the UN (United Nation) and the situation is more serious in Timor-Leste then most countries about environment and climate issues and people do not know so much about it, therefore he is very keen on helping as much as he can for Timor-Leste’s journalists.
“I hope you will go back to Timor-Leste and then start reporting, not only how bad is things are but also can be done to report on what people can do, how you can secure yourself, how you can help in getting water, or how you can prevent flooding and start reporting on that, getting people to watch it, getting people to file what they record on their mobile phone, so you can collect that and maybe even tell the politician we are going to do something and help so and make information, a news so the politician to find solution.” Said Henrik in Novus Giri Resort in Cipanas.
Henrik said for the future IMS can work in helping journalist in Timor-Leste by providing training about how to reporting climate change and environmental issues and work with the newsroom.
“What we can do in a few ways, first of all I would like it if we could train some trainers to train the journalists or even count ourselves to train trainers or others can be trained. As we have here, we like to bring it together with other journalists from the region, also to get inspiration from there, give them inspiration and then we can also do a lot online to they are actually possible that you can train online, but the best is of course to be there and to work with the newsroom.”
Timor-Leste participant, Radio Atoni Lifau Manager, Jose Francisco Efi, express his feeling that, “I feel happy because I can learn new things specially how to make reporting about climate changes and environmental issues. Besides, I can meet friends from another’s Southeast Asia country.”
“The advantage from this Bootcamp in Bogor, how the community radio, especially my radio station can do campaigns to the community to love and caring the environment such as using modern farm then traditional farm in RAEOA.” He tells to Neon Metin.
He will focus on social media and conventional media such as radio to do the campaign about the environment to minimize traditional system for the farmers in Oekusi region.
This Bootcamp participated by Indonesian media, CNN Indonesia, Suara, Narasi TV, Magdalene, Tempo, Malaysian media, Macaranga, media Thailand is Today, The Philippines are, GMA News Digital, FYT, Minda News, Puma Podcast, and Timor-Leste from Neon Metin, Lorico FM and Timor Post. The Bootcamp start on 7 to 12 August 2023 in Cipanas, Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia.