Climate Crisis Journalist Protection Initiative
Summary
In 2024, the Committee to Protect Journalists committed to launching the Climate Crisis Journalist Protection Initiative, an ambitious $1 million program aimed at comprehensively protecting journalists from threats associated with their work on climate change and the environment. In addition to financial assistance, journalists facing threats or retaliation will also receive mental health support and climate-specific risk assessment and safety workshops. As part of this initiative, CPJ will hire a climate fellow to research emerging threats to journalists and how newsrooms can cover climate issues freely and safely and document related press freedom violations. Through activism and programming such as events, campaigns, and partnerships, the Initiative will raise awareness for and contribute to global and regional climate reporting protection projects and mechanisms to protect both the physical and psychological safety of journalists and fair and accurate reporting.
Approach
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is launching the Climate Crisis Journalist Protection Initiative, an ambitious $1M program aimed at comprehensively protecting journalists from threats associated with their work on climate change and the environment. They will create a new fund to provide direct support to journalists facing threats in relation to climate reporting in the form of financial and non-financial assistance, which will include mental health support and the development of a climate-specific risk assessment and safety workshops tailored to different environments and local contexts. CPJ will conduct research on emerging threats to journalists who report on climate issues, identify and publish ways in which newsrooms can cover the issue freely and safely, and document press freedom violations in relation to climate reporting. They aim to increase awareness on the issue and contribute to existing global and regional climate reporting protection mechanisms through advocacy and communication initiatives including events, campaigns and partnerships. Finally, CPJ will evaluate and assess their existing reporting/data on press freedom violations regarding environmental/climate reporting and recommend critical interventions.
In order to successfully launch this initiative, CPJ will leverage their media and funding networks to promote the program, conduct outreach to coalitions and partners who will benefit from assistance, and secure long-term commitments from institutional and individual funders. The communications team has a long track record of amplifying our work: In 2023 alone, CPJ data and reporting were directly referenced in more than 68,000 media hits worldwide across 180 countries in 73 languages.
In order to raise the full $1M target, CPJ has already begun the process of identifying institutional and individual funders who would be interested in their approach to climate journalist protection. The institutional giving team has a strong history of identifying, soliciting and securing six-figure gifts from foundations and corporations to support new and existing programs and initiatives.
Action Plan
June 2024: Continued prospect research resulting in a broad list of 40+ strong institutional and individual funding prospects, which will include prospects identified as prospective early partners of the initiative.
June – July 2024: Outreach to current institutional funders and individual givers with an interest in climate and the environment to pitch early support for the initiative. Work with the board of directors’ development committee to identify corporate prospects. Finalize broader concept note and proposal.
July 2024: Outreach to list of new prospects identified as prospective early partners of the initiative to share concept note and proposal, arrange introductory meetings and discuss funding opportunities. Development and communications teams work together to plan public launch of initiative including social media, emails and online launch.
August 2024: Continued conversations with new and existing prospective funders to solidify core partner support. Work with partner organizations and networks to discuss and plan amplification opportunities. Work with CGI to connect with top-tier prospects who will attend the event.
September 2024: Announce and launch the initiative at CGI event. Promote via social media, email and website. Send announcement and targeted concept note outreach to a broad list of prospects. Continue meetings with prospective funders.
Q4 2024 and Q1 2025: Continue meetings with prospective funders. Provide updates to current supporters and prospects. Send out solicitation emails to individual donor network.
Background
In the past reporting on the environment was largely limited to the work of specialized reporters and niche publications; today that is no longer the case. As the climate crisis becomes more dire, outlets have invested in dedicated coverage on climate issues and employ special correspondents, units, and cross border collaborations. Climate reporters have expanded well beyond the traditional beats on extreme weather and carbon emissions to encompass a broad range of specialized topics related to climate change including land rights, migration and displacement, governance and use of natural resources, conflict, and human security. Meanwhile, climate governance and transparency continue to gain relevance as public funding flows increase in these areas and journalists pursue related stories. Yet, as attention and funding increase, investments and efforts to protect journalists bringing us critical news about our changing planet lag greatly behind.
Journalists on the front lines covering natural disasters face more physical safety risks than ever as the climate emergency worsens and catastrophic events such as wildfires, heat waves, and flash floods increase in frequency and severity across the globe. Physical security concerns are compounded with the high risk of psychological trauma from witnessing mass destruction. Furthermore, environmental journalism often involves pursuing stories that confront powerful interests, exposing and holding dangerous actors to account. Across the world, environmental journalists pursuing stories on corporate interests, criminal activities, political corruption, and human rights violations have faced legal harassment, physical threats and violence, and in the most extreme cases, death. CPJ data show that from 2009 to 2019, at least 13 journalists have been killed after working on environment related stories, making this field of journalism one of the most dangerous after war reporting. With these risks poised to increase in years to come as climate change worsens, there is a dire need to support journalists working on the front lines of the climate crisis, particularly the local and indigenous journalists at highest risk.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
In order to execute this ambitious initiative, CPJ is seeking $1M in support from institutional funders, individual givers and corporate partnerships., As part of their commitment, CPJ will offer financial support to journalists and newsrooms facing threats in relation to their climate change reporting. The financial assistance can cover emergency costs for needs such as medical assistance, basic supplies, legal fees, and emergency travel and accommodation.
Their communications team will amplify the stories of journalists at the nexus of press freedom and climate to raise the importance of protecting free press.
CPJ’s database is the most comprehensive and complete index on press freedom in the world, and is used by journalists, activists, and policymakers across the globe to confront threats to journalist safety and a free press using evidence-based research and advocacy. CPJ will evaluate and assess existing reporting/data on press freedom violations regarding environmental/climate reporting and recommend critical interventions.