Wazzup Pilipinas!?
Sunway University, Malaysia—September 2025
In a world where environmental collapse and human well-being are inextricably linked, the truth is often buried under layers of political jargon, corporate spin, and fragmented global agreements. This was the battlefield explored at the recent Capacity Development and Training Workshop on Planetary Health and Power (Workshop 03/25), where thirty journalists from across Asia gathered to forge a new approach to climate reporting.
The central theme was stark: the planetary health crisis is not merely an environmental challenge—it’s a crisis of power, politics, and accountability. The two-day workshop, hosted by Sunway University and supported by partners like the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) and Internews, aimed to equip media professionals with the tools to decode complex intergovernmental processes and translate global policy into urgent local narratives.
Unmasking the Power Imbalances in Global Governance
The training didn't just cover the mechanics of global summits like COPs; it challenged the assumption that these are neutral spaces. Expert speakers reinforced the idea that negotiations are "arenas where economic and political interests compete," and their outcomes often reflect the power imbalances among member states.
The UN's Strength and Weakness: The United Nations remains the only global platform for collective action, yet it is "only as strong as its member states". Journalists were urged to look beyond the diplomatic veneer and investigate the gap between high-level commitments and real-world action.
The Shadow of Finance: Finance emerged as the defining issue of trust. Participants learned that climate funding for developing countries often arrives as conditional loans that deepen debt burdens, rather than grants. This financial architecture, experts stressed, must be interrogated to expose disparities between what is pledged and who ultimately benefits.
Challenging the 'Global North' Narrative: A critical takeaway was the urgent need to decolonise storytelling. This means challenging the dominance of Western perspectives, using accessible language, and foregrounding local and Indigenous voices over diplomatic soundbites.
Health as the Ultimate Narrative Weapon
In the face of 'COP fatigue' and complex science, the workshop identified health as the most effective and relatable entry point for climate storytelling.
Framing stories through the lens of mental, physical, or societal health allows journalists to instantly connect the planetary crisis to lived human experience. Discussions highlighted how environmental crises manifest as health emergencies:
Extreme Heat and Mental Health: The complexity and urgency of issues like extreme heat affecting brain and reproductive health, and the stigma around eco-anxiety and climate-linked PTSD were spotlighted.
Data Gaps as the Story: Journalists were encouraged to see the absence of reliable data on issues like mental health or local adaptation impacts as a story of systemic neglect that warrants investigation.
Beyond the Hospital: Coverage should move past simply discussing hospitals and infrastructure to address systemic issues like pollution and corporate accountability. Journalists must scrutinise "health washing"—where progress in the health sector is showcased in isolation to appear more meaningful than it is.
The Fight for Truth in the Age of Spin
A recurring concern was the severe erosion of trust caused by disinformation, greenwashing, and selective reporting. The sessions provided concrete strategies for the media's watchdog role:
Following the Money: Participants were advised to investigate the financial transactions and political networks behind greenwashing claims. Tender documents and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) were cited as key sources to uncover false claims and verify facts with independent experts.
Continuous Coverage: A core lesson was that COPs and other summits cannot be treated as isolated events. Meaningful journalism requires sustained coverage before, during, and after negotiations to track policy implementation, financial follow-through, and community impact.
The Simulation Crucible: Two newsroom simulations, including one focused on managing disinformation in a post-COP biodiversity scenario, forced participants to apply critical thinking under intense pressure. These exercises demonstrated that effective environmental journalism demands not just factual accuracy, but also editorial judgment and ethical sensitivity.
A Call for Accountable and Actionable Journalism
By the workshop's close, the thirty participating journalists from outlets spanning India to the Philippines left with a clear mandate: their power lies in distilling complexity into clarity, amplifying marginalised voices, and sustaining pressure for accountability long after the headlines fade.
Survey feedback confirmed the impact: 100 percent of participants would recommend the training, and 92 percent expressed confidence in understanding and reporting on intergovernmental processes. The blend of conceptual grounding and hands-on newsroom practice was cited as especially effective in translating complex policy dynamics into actionable story ideas.
The message was clear: While international negotiations are complicated, the journalism that tracks them must be simple, relentless, and firmly rooted in justice and human resilience.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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