ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), in collaboration with the German Red Cross (GRC), has concluded a two-day National Climate Journalism Training Workshop aimed at strengthening journalists’ capacity to report on climate change and its impacts on communities.
According to a PRCS press release, the workshop was organised by the society’s Climate Change Adaptation and Media & Communication departments and brought together more than 30 journalists and field reporters from climate-prone regions, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The training covered climate science, climate reporting approaches, story development, climate policy and practical reporting exercises. Participants also received training on climate data journalism, identifying climate perspectives in everyday stories, developing human-centred narratives and working with reliable sources.
The first day included sessions on the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, as well as the history, mandate and work of the PRCS. Sessions were led by officials and journalists, including Sajjad Ali Kandhir, Ghulam Murtaza, Asif Aman, Ghulam Rasool Farooqui, Sher Zaman and Uneeba Waqar.
On the second day, broadcast journalist and mobile journalism trainer Abdul Razak Khatti conducted a session on mobile journalism, focusing on the use of smartphones and digital tools for climate reporting. Participants also worked on story development and presentations, followed by editorial feedback.
PRCS Chairperson Farzhana Naek said climate action should begin with solutions that address the realities of local communities.
“Journalists have an important role in bringing these solutions to the forefront, highlighting practical actions and giving greater visibility to communities that are already responding to climate challenges,” she said, according to the press release.
PRCS Secretary General Muhammad Abaidullah Khan said climate change was affecting communities, livelihoods and lives across Pakistan, making accurate and responsible climate reporting increasingly important.
He said strengthening journalists’ understanding of climate issues and their ability to translate them into clear and compelling stories could help connect communities, decision-makers and other stakeholders with actions and solutions needed on the ground.
The workshop was part of efforts by PRCS and the German Red Cross to strengthen climate journalism and promote more informed reporting on climate-related risks, impacts and locally driven solutions.
