1 Public Disclosure Authorized Establishing Joint Media Platform for Sundarban February 27, 2019 Public Disclosure Authorized It is a part of Activities of Bangladesh India Sundarban Region Cooperation Initiative (BI - SRCI) Public Disclosure Authorized Discussion Draft PreparedFinal Report for and on behalf of BISRCI Public Disclosure Authorized 2 Contents BISRCI Background………………………………………………………………………………….3 of Objectives……………………………………………………………………………………3 Status vis-à-vis Activities / Deliverables…………………………………………………4 - 12 Way Forward ………………………………………………………………………behalf 13 Draft Annexures on Annexure I - Report on Media Exposure trips to Trans boundary Sundarban ………………………14- 127 Annexure II- Details of Publicationsand ……………………………………………………………12 8- 211 Annexure III- Primaryfor Draft on Joint Media Platform………………………………………. 212- 220 Annexure IV Recent Stories onDiscussion Sundarban in major media platform …………………….221 - 222 Prepared 3 Background Trans-boundary Sundarban generally receives media attention only when a natural disaster strikes, an oil filled tanker submerges or counting of about tigers begin. According to a media research carried out by nonprofit EnGIO, the coverage of Sundarban by the mainstream media in Bangladesh, India and across the world is dominated by issues related to the Royal Bengal Tiger (16%) and impact of storm events such as cyclones (21%). In comparison there has been much less media focus on critical issues related to climate change vulnerability and climate adaptation vis-à-vis human development in the area. Moreover there has also been hardly any media effort to highlight the importance of undertaking collaborative transboundary action to ensure survival of Sundarban. Most importantly the survival of about 13 million people in and around Sundarban also rarely comes under media scanner at a benchmark to the likes ofBISRCI Phillipines, Maldives, or Caribbean islands though the potential impact, especially in terms of population vulnerability, is many times greater in Sundarban. All these seem to have a hinderingof influence – albeit indirect – on the policy and execution process of respective national, regional and local governments and administrations; which, in turn, further enhances the risk at ground level. To break this pattern, undertaking a proper media communication strategy vis-à-vis trans- boundary Sundarban was considered to be an immensely important step to facilitate developing a holistic sustainable development blueprint for Sundarban with the inbuilt consideration of climatic changes. With this broad premise in contention,behalf several formal and informal media interactions have been undertaken by EnGIO with help of other stakeholdersDraft since 2015 under the aegis of the assignment from the World Bank leadingon to the present assignment under SAWI (South Asian Water Initiative) which mandates organization of multi-stakeholder dialogue and consultation with an overall aim to facilitate an enabling media environment for a cooperative transboundary interface. Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Environment Governed Integrated Organisation (EnGIO) and The Third andPole have been asked to execute the assignment jointly with specific responsibilities. This Final Reportfor attempts to share what has been achieved under the assignment in context to the objectives with which it wasDiscussion undertaken . Objectives The assigned media engagement is outlined below with five specific activities / deliverables; 1. Formulation of Strategy for facilitating media collaboration on Sundarban 2. Setting up and running of an Interactive and Collaborative Sundarban website and Prepared related social media tools 3. Training cum Exposure Media trips in Transboundary Sundarban 4. Facilitating finalization of specific collaborative media proposals and rolling out activity on ground 5. Provision of Sundarban Media Fellowships 4 Status vis-à-vis Activities / Deliverables Objective 1 : Formulation of Strategy for facilitating media collaboration on Sundarban (Responsibility with EnGIO) The Strategy Undertaken • Understanding and identifying the process and dynamics of possible media collaboration within official and private media • Understanding and identifying the actors (including NGOs /BISRCI CBOs in communication sector) in possible media collaborations including transboundaryof media • Understanding and identifying the possible collaboration areas / subjects / issues in print, audio visual and web media • Facilitating the process of preparing collaborative proposals behalf Status Draft on • Several rounds of discussions were held in both Bangladesh and India involving senior media persons of various media houses and leading journalists covering particularly environment and climate change on the issue; as well as informally at the sidelines of the joint media trips inand transboundary Sundarban (details under Objective 3). In general, all have agreed that such a collaboration – and particularly a Joint Media Platform on Sundarban - is highly required in context to holistic covering and news coverage of trans boundaryfor Sundarban, both in terms of qualitative and quantitative coverage, but various issues cropped up during the discussions about the structure, objective, scale, drivers including financialDiscussion and sustainability of such an endeavor. • EnGIO has earlier drafted an Outline Media Plan for trans boundary Sundarban; which had been discussed at various meeting of Bangladesh India Sundarban Region Collaboration Initiative (BISRCI) and broadly accepted. As a matter of fact , the ongoing assignment is based on the stated plan. Prepared • Based on the discussion with number of journalists and stakeholders over last last few years, EnGIO has prepared a final draft on possible formation and structure of Joint Media Platform on Sundarban, and the same has been circulated within over fifty journalists of two countries almost in equal proportion in two countries including editorial level ones. Emphasis has been given to reach those journalists who had been involved 5 with the progranmme at some times or another. While some feedbacks have been already received, we await others. Once all the feedbacks are obtained, the draft of the platform will be finalized on basis of the same . Once that document will be in place , another round of consultations will be held to cater to the formation of such platform, if possible. The final draft has been shared under Annexure III. Remark After a detailed analysis of the inputs received from wide range of interactions of media stakeholders in two countries ; the following findings have been made. While media of two countries broadly have no opposition in principle in having a collaborative initiative on Sundarban discourse ; there are BISRCIfew issues which prove hindrances to formalization of such efforts , and will continue to do so unless the bone of contentions are taken care of. Firstly the scale of priorities as well as target audience, and also often agendas, are different in two countries; and ofhence trans-boundary outputs are not encouraged in editorial policy. Moreover there are legalities involved in such relationships which media houses do not consider worth take plunging. However it was found that few media houses are open to carry transboundary stories if independent wellknown journalists prepare such outputs under any assignment. On the otherhand media houses may consider taking behalfcollaborative transboundary stories, if the same is directly supported by funds / recognitions under the auspices of major multinationals like World Bank. However it was found web portalsDraft are more receptive to such collaborative transboundary outputs. on As for other actors like NGOs / CBOs in communication sector, their reach may be niched but can have high penetration and same may be expanded with focused support. Moreover relationshipand between major NGOs/ CBOs and exclusive media outfits can also be explored. for Objective 2 : SettingDiscussion up of an Interactive and Collaborative Sundarban website and its continuation (Responsibility with ORF , EnGIO and The Third Pole) The Strategy Undertaken Prepared• The website will be interactive and trilingual (content will be mainly in English and Bengali while some will be in Hindi as well). • The website will not only target the people at large and particularly stakeholders in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh but also the national and international audience. 6 • The development of the website – structure, style and spread – will be finalized with appropriate expert inputs. • The editorial policy will be finalized after considering inputs from partners / advisors to the assignment as well as members of BISRCI • The website will be geospecific; for example, anyone opening the website in Bangladesh will get to see the Bengali version by default; this is expected to make it more user friendly and acceptable. • The website will position itself as an extended web-magazine on transboundary Sundarban containing both secondary and primary news / information, data, opinions / blogs special article on Sundarban, interviews, still photo and videoBISRCI etc. • The contents will be generated through a process of collaborationof with mainstream media, local media, local NGOs, academic and research organizations, appropriate government departments etc. • A dedicated team of media professionals will maintain the website on a regular basis. • The website, once it settles down, willbehalf be linked to appropriate stakeholders,