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A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS

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A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS Keeping Biodiversity Issues in the News A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS Keeping Biodiversity Issues in the News A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS Cover Photo Credits: Peter Espeut, Greg Pereira and Tecla Fontenard Copyright © 2011 Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Published by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) The OECS Secretariat Morne Fortune P.O. Box 179 Castries Saint Lucia Telephone: (754) 452 2537 Fax: (754) 453 1628 Email: [email protected] Website: www.oecs.org All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS i FOREWARD By Keith Nichols Head of the Environmental Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) ` Few people in the Caribbean region are aware that we live in one of the world’s most important “biodiversity hot spots”. The entire Caribbean region is recognized as the world’s fifth most critical bio- diversity hot spot – which means that many of the unique plants and animals that exist only in our region – and no where else – are under serious threat of extinction unless strong action is taken to protect them now. In fact our region has already lost some critically important species, the majority of which have disappeared within the last few decades. The eyes of the world are watching what we do. In order to halt the extinction of our rare species, we all need to get involved. Indeed, as human beings, we are as intricately a part of biodiversity as are all other creatures. We definitely “Depend on nature to survive” and therefore need to ask “Can nature depend on us?” Since it was established in 1986 as the then Natural Resources Management Unit, the Environ- ment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has been pivotal in supporting biodiversity protection through the provision of technical assistance in sustainable natural resource management to OECS Member States. In recent years, the focus has been on protected areas through the OECS’ Protected Areas and Associated Livelihoods (OPAAL) project and the Protecting the Eastern Caribbean Region’s Biodiversity (PERB) project – both of which have helped in building the capacity of regional governments, state agencies, and local communities to manage biodi- versity resources in ways that enhance and maintain critical livelihoods while also protecting endemic species that are clearly at risk. Until now however, one key missing faction has been the mainstream media. The OECS recog- nises that vibrant public awareness is vital to ensuring that all stakeholders are informed of the role they need to play in biodiversity protection and management. The media are needed in order to keep OECS governments accountable and to keep biodiversity issues in the forefront of public consciousness. With- out an aware, fully sensitized and committed professional media to aid in information broadcasting, the public will not have a clear understanding of what the real stakes are with our biodiversity, nor will they know what strides are being made nor their own role in the management of these important resources. At the same time, the OECS recognizes that the media in our region face many challenges and obstacles. ii Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS Our media face huge competition from foreign conglomerates that have far greater resources to cover environmental issues as part of their regular reporting. Biodiversity issues are often considered dry and not newsworthy enough to be given adequate and appropriate treatment, and Park specialists and civil servants whose job it is to promote biodiversity are not sufficiently media savvy to attract the atten- tion of mainstream media. There is often a lack of trust or misunderstanding of each others’ jobs on both sides. More often than not, the discussion landscape surrounding biodiversity issues is complex and overly scientific, making it difficult for journalists to navigate effectively through the technical maze. Getting ex- pert input from credible sources can also be very challenging. All of these factors present serious obstacles to accomplishing effective, newsworthy, accurate and timely coverage of biodiversity issues. The intent of this tool kit is to make it easier for media houses and personnel in the OECS to bring biodiversity stories to the forefront without necessarily using words such as “biodiversity” or “environment” in headlines. It is meant to serve as a first stop for journalists in the region and to provide a solid starting point for understanding and covering issues from a wide variety of angles, while also pointing the media to credible research, sources of data, and regional experts. Most importantly, the tool kit is meant to forge a new way for the media and biodiversity experts and protected area managers to work together as partners. Without the media, biodiversity protection may be far from effective. If this is the result, then not only will our flora and fauna be at risk, so too will our livelihoods and quality of life of our people in the OECS region. This tool kit is not meant to be a static document, but a dynamic and evolving handbook. We at the OECS hope that, through this instrument and the media seminars that contributed to its development, a mutually supportive biodiversity partnership will continue to evolve and strengthen overtime. Keith Nichols Head of Unit, OECS-ESDU Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The finalisation of this tool kit has been an evolving process. Several people have contributed to the tool kit in its present form and the OECS wishes to acknowledge them. The OECS thanks Dr. Maria Protz, Lead Consultant for the Media Awareness Initiative. The primary responsibility for the compilation and design of the tool kit was hers. She was also responsible for leading a series of six seminars with journalists and persons who work in the field of biodiversity in the OECS Mem- ber States of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Additionally, the OECS thanks Ms Tecla Fontenard, OPAAL Communication Specialist, whose de- tailed eye was vital to both the tool kit’s development and the success of the media awareness seminars that provided essential input to its final content. As the intended audience and users of the tool kit, all of the participants in the media seminars that took place in January and February of 2011, also provided demand-driven feedback and input to this hand- book. The complete list of participants is too numerous to mention here, but all were very instrumental in shaping the final output. Additional critical input was also obtained from the media experts that served as resource persons for the media awareness seminars. These included: Jerry George – Journalist – Saint Lucia Indi Mclymont Lafayette - Panos Caribbean Wesley Gibbings – Association of Caribbean Media Workers Peter I Richards – Association of Caribbean Media Workers Finally, invaluable input for the tool kit was also provided by technical staff of the OECS-ESDU through their review of earlier drafts. These include: Keith Nichols - Head of Unit, OECS-ESDU Peter A Murray - Programme Officer, Education, Training and Awareness David Popo - Programme Officer, Disaster Management and Sustainable Development Susanna Scott - Project Coordinator, OPAAL Joan Norville - Programme Officer, Disaster Management Cornelius Isaac – Project Co-ordinator, Mainstreaming Disaster Management Risk Project Melissa Mc Lawrence – Administrative Assistant, OPAAL Without the help of all of these individuals, this handbook would not have been possible. iv Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS This Tool Kit is a compilation of material from several sources. A list of all sources cited is included as Appendix F for easy reference. Keeping Biodiversity in the News: A Tool Kit for Media in the OECS v ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACM Association of Caribbean Media Workers AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency ANB Antigua and Barbuda BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CANARI Caribbean Natural Resources Institute CBD Convention on Biodiversity CCCCC Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre CEP Caribbean Environment Program of UNEP CERMES Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies CI Conservation International CITES Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species COP Conference of Parties DOM Commonwealth of Dominica EA Environmental Awareness EBA Endemic Bird Area ENGO Environmental Nongovernmental Organisation EPC Environment Policy Committee ESDU Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (OECS) EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FFEM Fond Français pour l’Envioronnement Mondial GEF Global Environment Facility GEF Global Environmental Facility GMOs Genetically Modified Organisms GND Grenada HIV Human Immune Deficiency IBA Important Bird Area IBI Index of Biological Integrity IPR Intellectual Property Rights IUCN
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