The Drum Beat 807 - How Media Can Address Climate Change in Countries Most Affected

• 1.... and Action! How Media Can Address Climate Change in Countries Most Affected: Publication
  by Lisa RobinsonBBC Media Action argues that media content produced for people struggling to adapt to climate change - and not just about them - offers untapped potential to support people most affected by climate change to access trusted information, discuss and weigh their options, raise issues with decision-makers, and, ultimately, take action. Featuring many examples from BBC Media Action and others around the world, this policy note articulates how donors, policymakers, and climate experts can leverage the power of media and communication through programming that is designed to: strengthen livelihoods; help people make informed decisions about climate, weather, and financial services; empower people to reduce disaster risk; address climate-related health outcomes; support civic participation, governance, and accountability; and build social cohesion among and support climate adaptation in communities affected by conflict. [Nov 2021]
   
• 2.'...and Action!' How Media Can Address Climate Change in Countries Most Affected: Panel Discussion at COP26
  In support of the strategies and recommendations outlined in the policy document, guest speakers at this panel discussion, which took place during the 26th annual Conference of the Parties (COP 26) United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, highlight the ways communication and media are contributing to actions around climate change. For example, Martin van Aalst, Director, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, focuses on the theme of driving forecast-based action - in particular, community-based anticipatory action. He mentions that working to prevent the effects of disasters can be challenging, as it is difficult to talk about things that might happen in the future, especially in contexts where there are many other day-to-day challenges. It is therefore important to work with communities so that communication initiatives speak to local concerns. He also stresses the importance of investigating why a disaster happened and how it can be prevented in the future, with media playing an important role in providing follow-up analysis. [Nov 2021]
   

• 3.How can media help people in Bangladesh prepare for disasters?
  From a blog by Aniqa Hossain"...our resilience programme Amrai Pari (Together we can do it) visited communities around the country and demonstrated some simple techniques people could adopt using locally-available materials...We found that people who regularly watched Amrai Pari were more likely to have a keener perception of the risks of natural disasters than those who did not....Also, viewers were more likely to feel confident to work with other community members and needed less external support from NGOs [non-governmental organisations] or the government. Our statistical analysis showed that this was associated with increased self-efficacy and collective efficacy...47%...of all audience members reported that they took action to deal with shocks and stresses after being exposed to our programme." [Jan 2018]* See more on page 8 of '...and Action!'
   
• 4.Shamba Shape Up Series 10: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Survey Report
  Nine in ten of the farmers who took part in a survey about Series 10 of Shamba Shape Up (SSU), an edutainment-style television programme that is designed to improve the farming practices of small-scale farmers in East Africa, said that SSU was the TV programme they trusted the most to provide agricultural and farming information. According to the report, this is almost certainly because of the visual power of the medium, featuring real and relatable farmers and their families and the reputation the series has built up over time. Almost all viewers (96%) said they had learned something new from the series, and 93% claimed to have made a change they attributed to the programme. As a result of the changes they made, almost two-thirds (63%) reported better yields and incomes. [Dec 2020]* See more on page 11 of '...and Action!'
   
• 5.Times Are Changing: Using the Power of the Media to Increase Accountability and Resilience in Tanzania
  BBC Media Action's Radio for Resilience project, and the Nyakati Zinabadilika radio magazine and discussion programme specifically, were found to have helped to improve both knowledge and behaviours related to resilience. To mention just a few findings: "86% [of Tanzanian listeners] agreed that the programme had inspired them by showing them how others were coping in similar situations" and "almost a third (31%) of radio audiences report having adopted a new practice." In terms of good governance, "60% of audience members reported that the programmes played a role in holding government to account, although they were not always satisfied with the answers that some government officials provided in the programmes." Finally: "Of those who reported taking action, 54% said that they had either established or joined a community group as a result of listening to the programme." [Jan 2015]* See more on page 13 of '...and Action!'
   
• 6.Human stories inspire positive change
  From a blog by Katy Williams"...Nepal's debate programme Sajha Sawal (Common Questions) covered pollution in the Kathmandu valley. The production team took the environment minister to the area where people were most affected by road dust, so he could see the extent of the problem for himself. 'He promised to water the roads to dampen down the dust and immediately followed up on that pledge after the show', said the show's presenter Bidhya Chapagain. As to what Sajha Sawal panellists think, ten from the last two years were randomly selected and asked if the programme had led them to take new action. Five said it had. The remainder generally blamed their relative inactivity on a change in government, which meant they’d lost power before they could enact their promises....'We expect our guests to follow up on their commitments but we don't expect overnight changes in policy,' says Bidhya. 'We hope it creates debate. We hope it has that power. The debates often kick-start a wider debate which other media outlets follow up on.'..." [Mar 2017]* See more on page 26 of '...and Action!'
   
• 7."Trueno" Preparedness Campaign for Pet Owners in Costa Rica 2012-2014
  "Trueno", which is Spanish for thunder, is the name of a dachshund who was the main character of a communication campaign developed by World Animal Protection to better prepare urban pet owners in Costa Rica for disasters and to promote a culture of resilience. The pup-centred advert was broadcast over 6,000 times during the 3-year campaign, key messages were promoted on social media, and people were able to subscribe to receive weekly tips via SMS (text message). A 2015 assessment showed that the number of people implementing at least one of four measures nearly doubled, and specific criteria also improved - for example, the percentage of people with an emergency plan increased from 2% to 21%. [2019]* See more on page 19 of '...and Action!'
   
• 8.Reducing Intergroup Prejudice and Conflict Using the Media: A Field Experiment in Rwanda
  by Elizabeth Levy PaluckThe author randomly assigned a balanced cross-section of Rwandan communities to listen to one of two radio programmes: a reconciliation radio soap opera (Musekeweya, or "New Dawn"), or a soap opera that aims to change beliefs and behaviours around reproductive health and AIDS (Urunana, or "Hand in Hand"), which served as a control. Reconciliation listeners (as opposed to the control group who listened to the health series) were more likely to endorse positive social norms regarding intermarriage, trusting people, open dissent, and the discussion of trauma. Moreover, reconciliation listeners were more likely to voice their privately held opinions in front of their peers regarding the sensitive issue of community mistrust, to dissent with other group members' suggestions regarding a community resource, and to express confidence in their ability to cooperate as a group. [Oct 2007]* See more on page 29 of '...and Action!'
   
• 9.Building Resilience: How Research Has Been Used to Develop and Evaluate a Media and Communication Approach
  by Sonia WhiteheadThis report describes how BBC Media Action has carried out research to produce media programming for resilience that is rooted in the needs of people - and that has an impact. It focuses on Amrai Pari (see #3 above) in Bangladesh and Nyakati Zinabadilika (see #5 above) in Tanzania, finding, for example, that 78% of Amrai Pari audiences and 70% of Nyakati Zinabadilika audiences reported improved understanding as a result of watching or listening to the output. In Bangladesh, 35% of viewers and in Tanzania, 46% of listeners said they discussed the topics covered in the programme(s) with others. In addition to assessing the overall impact of the programmes, the analysis investigated pathways to change. In brief, Amrai Pari worked primarily through the effect of perceived risk and lack of institutional support, while for Nyakati Zinabadilika, knowledge and confidence appear to have been more important drivers of change. [Jul 2017]
   

• 10.Weather Wise
  BBC Media Action's Weather Wise project (2018-2020) was designed to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge about the weather and those who need it to make better decisions to improve their agricultural outputs and livelihoods - in this case, farmers, fishermen and pastoralists living in Northern Kenya, the Lake Victoria region of Kenya and Uganda, and the coast of Kenya and Tanzania. The project involved strengthening the capacity of radio journalists to provide timely and easy-to-understand weather information and forecasts to their audiences, as well as developing the capacity of technical professionals to communicate on climate and weather information for practical decision-making. Activities also included nurturing strategic links between media partners, weather experts, and relevant government decision-makers and creating opportunities for co-production and public conversations in order to deliver climate information that is relevant to communities that are most affected.* See more on page 18 of '...and Action!'
   
• 11.Khan Sar Kyi ('Feel It')
  Armed conflict and complex political divisions remain a challenge to Myanmar's peaceful, democratic reform. BBC Media Action's Khan Sar Kyi ('Feel It') project (2017-2019) aimed to build a broad and inclusive national public debate by showcasing diverse perspectives on identity and increasing audience understanding of the causes of, and potential solutions to, conflict. With a unified brand, a single presenter, and links between the issues raised in the project's documentaries, discussions, and digital content, BBC Media Action sought to engage both audiences who would normally tune out from politics and political actors who were driving the formal peace process in Myanmar. In this way, the programme aimed to tackle complex issues of identity and peace in a way that audiences could understand and engage with.* See more on page 30 of '...and Action!'
   
• 12.Don't Wait For Rain - Neighbours Together
  Through a factual TV documentary series ("Don't Wait For Rain"), complemented by community events and social media content, BBC Media Action's Neighbours Together project worked to improve Cambodians' knowledge of climate risks and to encourage them to protect themselves against the effects of extreme weather. In an attempt to ensure the content would be accessible, engaging, and transformative, BBC Media Action conducted a large-scale study of people's everyday experience of climate change in the country. The series, which aired from February to May 2019, showcased what were meant to be easily replicable and affordable techniques that people could use to protect themselves against the effects of extreme weather. Community screenings held across five priority areas of the country expanded reach and were meant to connect communities to experts and resources in viewers' local area who could support them in making changes at home.* See more on page 20 of '...and Action!'
   
• 13.Finding Digital Stories: The Youth Reporter Project Toolkit
  As smartphones are accessible to most young people, Plan International Philippines, through its Youth Reporter Project, developed a mobile journalism ("MoJo") toolkit to equip youth advocates with the knowledge and skills needed for digital storytelling. Youth Reporter is a participatory, community-based media project for young people in different countries, including the Philippines. Plan launched it in 2013, when the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan affected millions of people, including youth. Children and young people trained under the project put the learnings in practice as young citizen journalists, media literacy advocates, and change agents in their communities.* See more on page 27 of '...and Action!'
   
• 14.Coming out about indoor pollution in Ethiopia
  From a blog by Andrey Vladov"...Funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and broadcast across Ethiopia's vast Oromia region, the drama [Golaafala] draws attention to the harmful effects of traditional ways of cooking, heating and lighting homes....'We decided that using storytelling and radio theatre is the best way to address such a serious topic,' explains Dawit Batri, Golaafala's senior producer. 'Spoken word, poetry and music are very popular in Oromia and appeal to the artistic nature of the Oromo people.' The subtle tactic seems to have worked. Audiences are hooked on the storyline without feeling lectured to or criticised....The radio drama and PSAs [public service announcements] don't just raise awareness of how indoor pollution can damage health, they also aim to provide solutions....[In the words of] the drama's storyteller – a traditional singer who inhabits Golaafala's tej (wine) house and comments on the lives and ways of the play's characters[:] 'Buy an improved cooking stove and make sure that your family is healthy!'" [Nov 2016]* See more on page 23 of '...and Action!'
   
• 15.Kembali Ke Hutan (Return to the Forest)
  Through integrated social and mass media, BBC Media Action's Kembali Ke Hutan (Return to the Forest) project has been working since 2019 to engage with young Indonesians about the sustainable development choices their country faces and to mobilise them to take action. Its digital and TV programming focuses on strengthening governance and sustainable green growth in an effort to help young people make informed choices on, and get involved in, environmental issues. For example, the social media mini-series Kangen Jalan-jalan (Missing Travel) takes young people stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic on a virtual journey to their favourite parts of the country - hopefully appealing to those who are proud of their country's beauty. Throughout the series, the host is accompanied by young people actively working on climate change.* Learn more in the panel discussion summarised here
   

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