Media for Environment, guide for journalists covering environmental topics, launched at EcoContact public association of Moldova

A new guide for journalists who cover environmental topics has been launched in Chisinau. The publication, titled Media for Environment, was developed by the NGO EcoContact, with the participation of experts in the field and academic staff from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at Moldova State University (USM).

The launch event also included a training session for around 20 journalists interested in environmental topics and green justice. The participants discussed modern research techniques, access to environmental information and digital communication trends for the coming years.

European integration with a protected environment

According to Tatiana Echim, project manager at EcoContact, the European integration of Moldova is closely linked to environmental protection and to respecting citizens’ right to a healthy environment.

“European integration is not possible without integrating our society with a protected, clean environment and respecting the rights to a healthy environment. Many of the requirements put forward in the process of Moldova’s European integration concern the environmental chapter,” said Tatiana Echim.

She stressed that economic development must go hand in hand with nature protection and compliance with environmental standards.

“We have become much more demanding consumers compared to previous years. The opening of new enterprises is a good thing, because any economic development is associated with an increased standard of living. But we believe that both economic and social development, as well as respect for nature are preconditions that must be observed,” the organization’s representative noted.

According to her, civil society and the media play an important role in monitoring the environmental situation and in properly informing the public.

“The role of such organizations as EcoContact is to provide accurate information and to monitor the situation on the ground, in order to see to what extent the state, economic agents and other actors comply with the rules set for nature protection. We see the media as supporters who allow us to carry out professional investigations. In certain cases, it is precisely the media that can gain access to information that is 20–30 years old and can compare past situations with those of the present,” Echim added.

The guide supports journalists in researching complex environmental topics

For her part, Natalia Beregoi, manager of the small grants programme for the media at EcoContact, said that the guide was meant to support journalists in researching complex environmental topics.

“The guide is a novelty in the field. It was produced by a team of environmental experts and journalism specialists. Our collaboration aimed to develop a tool that would help journalists in researching and writing environmental stories, because environmental journalism is a niche type of journalism and requires specific research,” said Beregoi.

According to her, the publication includes information about the regulatory and institutional framework of Moldova, case studies from international investigations, and a glossary of terms useful for understanding environmental concepts.

“We also included international resources from which data on the state of the environment can be got, so that journalists have quick access to reliable and relevant information,” added Natalia Beregoi.

Environmental protection – a topical issue that must be investigated and promoted in the media

Academic staff from Moldova State University also contributed to the development of the guide. Associate professor Mariana Tacu believes that the work can become an important tool for both novice and experienced journalists.

“It is a topical issue that must be promoted by journalists. I believe this guide is very useful, because it covers more dimensions – ethical, legal and terminological. It is a complex work, the result of a research process that lasted more than a year,” stated Mariana Tacu.

She emphasized that environmental stories must be rigorously researched.

“We wanted to sound the alarm among journalists, both young and experienced, that environmental topics must be well documented. Exact data, solid arguments and many facts are needed,” Tacu said.

The guide provides investigative reporting sheets for eight topic-related areas, including water resources, air quality, soil pollution, waste management, forest resources, protected areas and climate change. Each section includes key questions, information sources, responsible institutions and useful indicators for documenting topics.

During the training, journalists also learned OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) techniques for verifying information from public sources, including the use of satellite imagery and geospatial data available through such platforms as Google Earth Pro or Sentinel Hub. Participants also discussed how to formulate requests for access to environmental information and the legal avenues for challenging possible refusals.

The activity is part of the project, Green Justice for a Protected Environment and Sustainable Communities in Moldova, implemented by EcoContact with financial support from Sweden. The small grants programme for the media aims to support journalists in professionally covering environmental issues, the management of natural resources and the impact of climate change.