The Lead Convener of the TN Africa Digital Journalism Summit, Senanu Damilola Wemakor, has called for a fundamental shift in climate communication strategies, urging stakeholders to prioritise digital platforms over traditional conference-based engagements.
Speaking at the summit in Kenya, Mr Wemakor said climate messaging must be taken directly to audiences through smartphones and social media, where engagement is highest and impact more immediate.
“Climate communication must not remain in conference rooms. It must move to smartphones, social media platforms, and digital communities where people engage daily, so that these people can drive policy to take action in rural communities, where the consequences are dire,” he said.
The summit, themed Telling Africa’s Climate Change and Food Story in the Digital Age, brought together journalists, academics and digital creators from across the continent to explore new approaches to reporting on climate change and food security.
As part of efforts to deepen engagement, Mr Wemakor announced the launch of the “Story the Change” initiative, a continental campaign aimed at mobilising journalists and content creators to produce climate-related stories at scale.
“We want to put together in six months over a thousand content and online stories on climate change across the continent, and we want to reach at least 20 million people online,” he said.
He explained that the initiative would leverage the influence of digital creators with large followings to amplify climate narratives and drive public awareness.
“When you go online, you have creators with two million followers, one million followers. What are they using these numbers for? This same audience can be used to project the message of climate change,” he added.
Discussions at the summit also highlighted concerns about how Africa is portrayed in global climate discourse, with participants calling for more locally driven narratives that reflect solutions and resilience.
One of the speakers, Winnie Ndeta Otsiulah, stressed the responsibility of communicators in shaping public perception.
“As communicators, as digital creators, we are the gatekeepers in communication. Yet, the dominant narratives that often paint Africa paint it as a victim and a backdrop for global grief,” she said.
“And we need to go down to the people… these solutions are not to remain in the papers that we publish and put in the library shelves,” she added.
Organisers indicated that the “Story the Change” campaign will be rolled out across multiple African countries, with plans to partner international climate organisations and funding institutions to expand its reach and impact.
The initiative reflects a growing recognition that digital storytelling could play a critical role in influencing policy, mobilising communities and reshaping Africa’s climate narrative on the global stage.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh