Course to improve quality of environmental news in Kuwait
Enhancing press role in finding solutions for environmental issues
KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority launched on Monday a basic course in environmental media in cooperation with Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA). The four-day course will include various media topics, such as preparing environmental news reports and environment investigation, in addition to how to write an environmental story.
Abdullah Al-Zaidan, EPA Deputy Director-General of Technical Affairs, said the course aims to raise the level of efficiency of the cadres in public relations, government agencies and civil society institutions by qualifying media professionals specialized in the environmental field, which is one of the most important issues locally and internationally. “The media’s role is important in order to convey information and find appropriate solutions for environmental issues. Also, they have an important role in creating environmental awareness among people,” Zaidan said.
First of its kind
KJA Trustee Adnan Al-Rashed noted this is the first cooperation of its kind regarding training media to specialize in environmental issues. “We consider environmental media as one of the types of journalistic work. Media in Kuwait should be specialized, especially in the environment field. Specialization is weak in our local media - we cover environmental issues from time to time but we normally do not pay attention to it,” he said.
“The environment media should guide human behavior and develop awareness among people. It is the responsibility of the government sector, private sector and civil society to seek specialization, especially in environmental media. We hope to intensify efforts and achieve this within a short period,” Rashed said.
Neglected news
Suhair Jaradat, Representative of Jadal Media Training Center, said environmental news is the most neglected news, and there is no coverage because of its difficult terms and concepts. Also, some readers do not prefer reading such news, along with a lack of specialized journalists in this field. “However, those concerned from the environmental sector should
facilitate alternative terms and educate professional journalists to present environmental issues simply to readers,” she pointed out.
Mohammed Al-Tamimi, Representative of the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, said: “There is no doubt that the issue of environment has played a major role in economic and political systems around the world. Therefore, the media must be concerned with the protection of the environment, and this is based on the reality of the media’s ability to reach different segments of the society.” He affirmed that the growing societal, economic and political role played by environmental institutions makes it important to find specialized environmental media within various media, including visual, audio and print.