World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3, every year, to celebrate the essential principles of press freedom and to protect the media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives. This year, the day is celebrated under the theme, "A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”

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In line with the theme, questions to ponder include: do Rwandan journalists have access to environmental information and privacy? Are they safe while on the field? Can they raise awareness on climate or the surroundings without misinforming? And, perhaps, what hinders them from executing their work?

Emmanuel Mugisha, the Executive Secretary of Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), said that environmental issues are a significant news category covered by Rwandan journalists.

However, the depth of these stories often lacks comprehensive research, which is crucial for effectively educating the public on environmental matters. Additionally, the use of dense environmental jargon can obscure understanding for the general populace.

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"An analysis of environmental coverage in Rwandan media reveals a focus primarily on environmental crises within the country or events directly addressing environmental topics. This focus results in a notable absence of educational content that could inform the public,” Mugisha stated.

He noted that RMC conducted regional workshops to acquaint journalists with the complexities surrounding the work of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the main decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and to facilitate networking and information sharing.

Mugisha explained that given the climate crisis and the need for public mobilization, the media’s role is indispensable. Journalists and editors seem to allocate less air time and space for coverage of climate-related issues and the environment in general – and the reason behind this reality needs to be analyzed and addressed with joint support from different actors, he added.

He highlighted the need for journalists to be trained in fact-checking to ensure accurate reporting, stressing that the absence of reliable data that tracks trends on environmental topics is a significant barrier to combating misinformation. According to Mugisha, the media’s role in advancing climate justice is crucial, as is justice for the media profession itself. He noted that quality journalism that reports on public issues requires support in all forms, including financial.

"On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we must consider both environmental or climate justice and journalism work justice as matters of public concern. As we advocate for press freedom and expression, we must also recognize that it is granted with a purpose.”

Mugisha said that since the media is a cornerstone of constitutional order, journalists should remember that serving the public interest is their primary purpose, and it is for this reason that the constitution guarantees their freedom.

He highlighted some of the challenges journalists face including financial constraints within media organizations, which hinder comprehensive coverage, especially when the crisis locations are far.

Additionally, he pointed to limited expertise among journalists in reporting on environmental issues, which results in a shortage of specialized reporters.

"The Rwanda Environmental Journalists (REJ) network, established in 2019, has made remarkable strides in promoting specialized environmental reporting. They have organized workshops with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network to enhance journalistic expertise in this field. There is a pressing need for collaboration among various stakeholders to support the role of journalists. Unfortunately, such collaboration is currently lacking,” Mugisha stated.

Daddy Rubangura Sadiki, the Executive Director and founder of REJ network, noted that several journalists are not knowledgeable and informed about the environment – they are unable to enlighten and educate the public about ongoing issues. REJ is a non-governmental national journalism organization created by and for journalists who report environmental topics in the news media.

Sadiki explained that access to information is the basis of democracy. Is lost, he said, if journalists cannot safely cover issues such as climate, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and extractive activities.

Therefore, he noted, the public will not have the information it requires to take action on issues that affect their lives.

Sadiki stressed that the few journalists who report about the environment are not able to interpret scientific terminologies in an easy language for their audience, which is why he calls upon the Ministry of Environment and other actors to devise means of translating some vocabulary in Kinyarwanda to assist journalists to easily understand and communicate better.

"Creating REJ was to improve the quality and quantity of environmental journalists in Rwanda. We wanted to achieve this by increasing the skills and professionalism of our members. We organize workshops that cover topics such as investigative journalism, policy analysis, and communication strategies to curb misinformation and disinformation.”

In case of misinformation or disinformation, REJ detects who is behind it, exposes their interests, and provides verified information to the public so that they can make informed decisions.