PAMACC set to boost new Media Academy for African Climate Journalists

By Elias Ntungwe Ngalame

Journalists of the Pan African Media Alliance for Climate Change, PAMACC, have resolved to give a boost to the newly created media academy for African journalists reporting on climate change and the environment dubbed TAAFA. The resolve was taken at a sideline meeting during the 2^nd edition of “The ACCER Awards organized by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance in Nairobi-Kenya, June 22-25, 2014.

 According to the continental coordinator of PAMACC, Isiaiah Isipisu, the newly created academy, The ACCER Awards Finalists Academy is the newest baby of PACJA, thus a brother or sister to PAMACC.  Its creation accordingly falls within PACJA’s objective to seek and enhance positive media coverage of climate change issues in the African continent.

“It is incumbent on us to contribute to the realization of this lofty dream which ties with the goals set by PAMACC. We equally have to give more life to the PAMACC online news site by contributing items from our various countries more regularly to make it competitive and attract more readers” Isipisu said.

 Earlier during the official launching of the academy PACJA Secretary General, Mithika Mwenda said TAAFA will not only give impetus to already existing training and reward schemes, but will also ensure sustainability of the capacity building project.

He disclosed that PACJA has sought partnership with institutions offering professional training for journalists on environment, climate science and diplomacy, calling on members of PAMACC who are the pioneer beneficiaries to keep the flames of the academy burning.

“TAAFA will in the long run be a competitive integrated environmental and sustainable development Centre of excellence in Africa”, he noted.

It should be recalled that PAMACC was created after the pioneer 2013 training for African climate change journalists by PACJA in Nairobi-Kenya.

The Pan African Media Alliance on Climate Change has continued to link media professionals in the continent through its five regional representations in the West, East, Centre, South, and North with a continental coordination based in Nairobi-KENYA.

Through a news blog, members have been able to interact on regular basis, sharing information worldwide and expanding their outreach to other journalists in the continent and beyond.  The news blog is expected to run as a full climate change and environment news website in the weeks ahead to compete with other bona-fide climate change news site like Reuters Alertnet, IPS and SciDev. The members unanimously resolved to put in their all albeit the lack of financial support to realize their project for the interest of the suffering African population.

“ We just have to sacrifice our talents and help the African continent stand the challenge of climate change,” the PAMACC continental coordinator said.