28 February 2024, Apia Samoa - The role of the Media to disseminate accurate, timely and quality information to help Pacific communities survive the worsening impacts of climate change has never been more important.
Since 2008 the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has worked to build the capacity of Pacific Islands media to report on the issues of Climate Change, how it impacts our Pacific communities and the work being done to address it. SPREP continues to build upon this work with a particular focus on Loss and Damage, as a result of climate change.
In line with this, SPREP is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Pacific Islands journalists working and living in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to learn more about Loss and Damage and its impacts and understand the work SPREP, partners and Pacific countries are doing to address it.
The selected Journalists will be invited to attend a three-day Media Training on Loss and Damage in Samoa from 30 April 2025 to 2 May 2025. Following this, all Journalists who attend the training will go on to cover the Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue in Samoa from 5-6 May 2025, as a Pacific News Team.
SPREP’s Communications and Outreach Unit Adviser, Ms Nanette Woonton, reiterated the important role of the Pacific Media in the work to address the impacts of climate change.
“There is a lot of work being done by SPREP, our partners and our Pacific countries to address the impacts of climate change. The media, as eyes and ears of members of the public, play a very critical role in this collective work,” said Ms Woonton.
“We are very excited to be able to offer our Pacific island journalists working and living in the Pacific this opportunity and we look forward continuing to work with them in our journey towards a more resilient blue Pacific.”
Loss and Damage is when the impacts of climate change are greater than our ability to adapt, be that of our ecosystems, communities or countries. These are impacts of slow onset processes such as sea level rise, or those caused from extreme events such as cyclones or flooding.
Loss and Damage is now one of the most confronting impacts of climate change with scientific evidence suggesting Loss and Damage is already occurring and will continue to occur resulting in compounding impacts across communities, sectors and regions
SPREP’s Climate Adaptation Adviser, Ms Filomena Nelson acknowledges the crucial role of the media as the fourth estate in democracy to build a resilient Pacific.
“Our Pacific leaders have continuously identified climate change as the single greatest threat to the Pacific,” said Ms Nelson. “Our goal is to work with our Pacific media to understand the issues of Loss and Damage, their impacts, and actions being taken to address it. We aim help journalists access information and understand their implications for decision making.”
The SPREP Communications and Outreach Unit will work with and support the Pacific News Team to ensure the development of daily content to be filed and published by their media organisations.
KEY THINGS TO NOTE:
Dates
You will need to be available for travel to Samoa from approximately 28 April 2025 until 7 May 2025.
Our role
- Fund and facilitate your travel and DSA.
- Coordinate capacity building and introduce you to a range of climate change experts from the
- Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and across our Pacific
- Islands region.
- Facilitate the workshop inclusive of networking opportunities.
- Support you as we enhance your ability to report on climate change and loss and damage.
- Manage the Pacific News Team to support coverage of the
Your role
- Ensure your visa (transit and otherwise) are secure and funded.
- Check that your passport is eligible noting the 6-month travel.
- Facilitate your accommodation.
- Attend the workshops as a participant.
- Attend the Second Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue as a Pacific News Team
- member.
- Develop a minimum of one story for the duration of the workshop (noting time to do this will
- be included in the agenda.
- Develop at least two pieces of content each day for the duration of the Second Pacific
- Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue.
- Develop a feature story within two weeks of returning home after the event.
- Provide a one-page report for our documentation within two weeks of completing this event
Application criteria
- Applicants must have an eligible passport noting the 6 months before expiry date for travel.
- You must be a Pacific Islands Journalist residing and working in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue,
- Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
- Applicants must be employed by a media organisation in that country noting we are accepting print, television and radio genres.
- You must be able to bring your own equipment to develop content, inclusive of a laptop. Other such equipment may include a camera (video and still), sound recorder etc.
- Applicants should be able to speak and produce media content in English as well as their own
- language/s.
- Your application must be accompanied by a Letter from your Editor confirming that all your content developed will be published/broadcast through your media organisation, and that SPREP also has permission to use and distribute your content applying your byline, name of media organisation and link to website.
Selection process
If you wish to be considered, contact SPREP’s Media and Public Relations Officer, Mr Keni Lesa on sosikenil@sprep.org to acquire a form where you will be asked to give us a brief about your employment and experience in journalism and in less than 200 words, pitch a story about the impacts of climate change in your country.
Or you can fill in the form on this link: https://form.jotform.com/250607499806063
All submissions will be reviewed by a SPREP Panel.
DEADLINE for submission is 4pm Samoa time Thursday 6 March 2025.
The addressing climate change loss and damage - Pacific regional partnership project is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and is implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).