This is an opportunity provided by the Climate, Inequality, and Labour Rights programme: Find out more

Climate change is a complex and pressing challenge that the world faces with impacts exacerbating inequality across demographics and - significantly - the lives of labourers. As economic sectors are pushed to greener business practices, poorly thought-through climate action (and inaction) often intensifies labourer vulnerabilities, exposing workers to insecure and unprotected work. Within this environment, Just Transition works to secure the future and the livelihoods of workers and local communities in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The role of journalists in Just Transition

Journalists have a vital and powerful role to play in unpacking this complex aspect of climate impacts through impactful, nuanced, and engaging journalism that sheds a critical light on a greener future and keeps stakeholders informed and accountable.

The role of CSOs in Just Transition

CSOs are crucial in doing the diligent and path-making work to advocate for just transition for the many who are left behind at this critical juncture of rapid global change. More than ever, this requires strategic communication that provides opportunities for direct collaboration with journalists and media outlets to garner cross-sectoral support and raise awareness of the work that must be done.

Dual Track Training

This October, Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) is introducing its new journalism training “Reporting and Communicating on Just Transition - the Intersection between climate action, inequality, and labour”. The 6-week online dual-track training will be led by our veteran trainers who will provide a deep dive into the complex topics and unpack how:

• Journalists can better report on Just Transition challenges and solutions in impactful and relevant ways. 
• CSOs can strengthen their communication skills to raise support and awareness for their work to forward Just Transition and greener economies. 

Through the dual track approach, journalists and CSOs will take part in simultaneous training courses led by our leading journalism and civil society experts. Throughout the six weeks and during follow-up activities for alumni, the two tracks will have joint sessions that encourage mutual learning and networking to build a collaborative approach to tackle the intersections between climate action, inequality, and labour.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN

• Journalists - After this training, you will have gained the tools and know-how to confidently report on the intersections between climate action, inequality, and labour with an understanding of the policies, key challenges and actions being taken toward Just Transition challenges. You will gain new reporting angles based on Solutions Journalism principles, as well as develop your skills in data visualisation to produce data-driven, compelling stories that engage audiences. You will also have an opportunity to receive a story grant along with one-on-one mentoring to support the development and publication of your story.
• CSOs – After this training, you will understand the intersection of climate change, inequality, and labour, the risks that climate change poses, and the actions that are currently being taken in light of these challenges. You will also understand the principles of Solutions Journalism as a new angle for communication and receive a how-to in communicating with different types of media outlets along with developing different skills required to segment audiences/stakeholders, build key messages, map communication campaigns, and improve skills in interviewing, delivering presentations, and using digital marketing and multimedia skills training tools. 
• Both – The training and follow-up activities for programme alumni will include joint sessions to foster journalist-CSO interactions. Furthermore, on completion of the programme, participants will have access to the TRF Alumni club that will provide a virtual space for continued professional development consisting of varied activities including guest speakers, masterclasses, networking and story collaboration sessions. Alumni Club content will also be driven based on topics nominated in a pre-course questionnaire that will be sent to successful candidates.

CSO APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED: Make sure you do not miss this opportunity and apply before the 20th October deadline.

WORKSHOP FORMAT 

Dates: 

Joint Orientation: 5 October, 2022 10:00-11:30 IST 

CSO Communications Training: 25 Oct, 31 Oct, 7 Nov, 14 Nov, 21 Nov, last training date TBD - 9:00-13:00 IST

Journalism Training: 26 Oct, 2 Nov, 9 Nov, 14 Nov, 23 Nov, last training date TBD - 9:00-13:00 IST 

• A series of live, interactive sessions will be conducted over Zoom and take place over six half-days during six weeks. Each of the live sessions will last four hours in the morning with a mix of activities and breaks.
• Participants should be able to commit to four hours for each live session plus 1-2 hours of offline reading or assignments done in their own time on those days or between sessions.
• The training will be run in English. Fluency in English is required.
• Journalist participants are also strongly encouraged to come with a story idea they can develop throughout the training.
• CSO participants should be prepared to discuss their plans for an upcoming communications activity such as a conference, event, or report launch, and use this as the foundation for implementing new skills learned during the programme.

Eligibility Overview 

• Journalists: Applicants must be full-time journalists or regular contributors to media organisations in India.
• CSOs: Applicants must be full-time CSO staff with a role in communications and media engagement. 
• Applicants must be fluent in English. The course will be run in English.  
• Applicants must have a minimum of three years’ professional experience. 
• Applicants must have access to a minimum internet speed of 8Mb/second. (You can check the speed of your device by logging from it on www.speedtest.net). Financial support to purchase internet data can be made available for the period of the training.
• Applicants need access to a computer to participate in the training; participation from a mobile or smartphone will not be possible.

Submissions Overview

When applying you will be asked to upload the following documents - please have these ready:

Journalists:

• Two relevant work samples touching on one or an intersection of the topics of climate change, inequality and labour rights (maximum file size 5 MB) – in English if possible. For stories not in English, please include a 250-word English summary about the story.
• Please note you will be asked to submit one or more story ideas within your application. We will not share your ideas with anyone. 

CSOs:

• Please provide a maximum 250-word summary of a communications activity or media engagement campaign at your organisation where you played a pivotal role. Describe the activity, your communications goals, and the extent to which these were achieved. Describe the skills or strategic communications information you feel would help you achieve better outcomes from similar campaigns in future.

If you have any difficulties applying, please email the project coordinator at moe.sasaki@thomsonreuters.com with Vaughan, Alexandra Alexandra.Vaughan@thomsonreuters.com in Cc. 

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri