The hot issue of biodiversity and climate change will
receive a much-needed public awareness boost when the ASEAN Centre for
Biodiversity (ACB), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(German Agency for International Cooperation) or GIZ, and the Philippine Press
Institute (PPI) launch the special award on “Best in Biodiversity and Climate
Change Reporting” at the 16th National Press Forum on April 24 at Traders Hotel
Manila. The launch of the special award will be announced at the press forum by
Rolando Inciong, head of ACB’s Communication and Public Affairs.
“The relationship between biodiversity and climate change
cannot be translated into a gut issue that the man on the street will
understand without the help of media, especially the newspapers. GIZ and ACB
recognize media’s significant role as a partner in demystifying biodiversity
and promoting the link between biodiversity and climate change and highlighting
their importance to humans,” Dr. Berthold Seibert, Project Manager of the
ACB-GIZ Biodiversity and Climate Change Project, said.
In recognition of media’s key role in generating a greater
awareness of biodiversity, ACB and GIZ will partner with the PPI for the special
award, which will be part of the 2012-2013 Civic Journalism Community Press
Awards. Hosted by PPI and The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, the awards is an
annual event that aims to recognize community papers excelling in the field of
civic journalism. There are six existing categories: Best in Business and
Economic Reporting, Best in Science and Environmental Reporting, Best in
Photojournalism, Best Editorial Page, Best Edited Paper, and Best in Culture
and Arts Reporting.
For the past two years, ACB has been supporting the awards
by serving as judge in the Best in Science and Environmental Reporting
category. For 2012-2013, ACB and GIZ, through the Biodiversity and Climate
Change Project, will launch a special awards category: Best in Biodiversity and
Climate Change Reporting.
“By opening this special category, ACB, GIZ and PPI will
recognize the efforts of community journalists who have taken the initiative to
educate more people about biodiversity and climate change,” Mr. Rodrigo U.
Fuentes, executive director of ACB, said.
By partnering with PPI on the awards, ACB and GIZ seek to
“form a cadre of journalists who will become active partners in promoting the
link between biodiversity and climate change through their reportage.
Communicating biodiversity and climate change is a daunting task. While
successes have been achieved on some fronts, a lot of communication gaps still
need to be filled. This award is a step toward bridging those gaps,” Director
Fuentes explained.
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