The best climate stories begin with the people living through the change. This guide sets out how to find the stories that matter and report from the ground up.
The guide is essential for any journalist covering climate change in coastal, riverside or other vulnerable communities, as it explains how to link what you see on the ground to the evidence.
It’s based on two articles written by Rafiqul Islam Montu, and award-winning environmental journalist. The two articles look at how to – craft compelling stories and how to report about the impact on communities. We recommend you read both pieces before applying the checklist below.
- [ ] Start with your own questions: The things that puzzle you about a place are often the best source of stories. Ask why a river is dying, why farmland lies unused or why people are leaving their villages.
- [ ] Treat your local patch as a goldmine: Local journalists live close to the people and the changes. That puts you in the best position to spot climate stories and capture strong quotes. A good story idea is worth as much as the story itself.
- [ ] Go to the people: Stories from the ground are the real stories. Visit the field and speak to those affected, rather than writing from the city. Make the effort to reach remote islands and shoals that other reporters have never visited.
- [ ] Put human voices at the centre: Let people’s own words carry the suffering, the emotion, the laughter and the tears. A climate story does not come alive without them.
- [ ] Back every climate story with evidence: A cyclone or a collapsed embankment is an isolated event until you can show the climate link. Understand the science and explain it in simple, accessible language.
- [ ] Start with the impact on people: Look at how climate change affects rights, livelihoods, jobs, debts, homes and food. Displacement and changing occupations are rich sources of stories.
- [ ] Put those on the front line first: Women, children and minority groups are often hit hardest but rarely feature in coverage. Make them, and a gender perspective, a priority.
- [ ] Report solutions and adaptation: Do not cover only the crisis. Ask what governments and communities are doing, and tell the stories of people who are overcoming the problems.
- [ ] Build a network of sources: Aim for five tiers: grassroots professionals, local communities, local journalists, local public representatives and government officials. A good network lets you keep reporting when you cannot travel.
- [ ] Follow up and keep policymakers in view: Return to the same islands, villages and people over time. It shows you how change unfolds and often leads to new stories. Many ground-level stories never reach decision-makers, so make sure yours do.
Summary
This guide teaches you that the strongest climate stories begin with people, not events. By staying close to communities, backing your reporting with evidence and returning over time, you will produce coverage that is credible, human and hard to ignore. And because no single reporter can cover every story, bring other journalists with you.
Related material
Climate and coastal journalism – crafting compelling stories
