In an era of climate chaos, how we tell the story matters. That’s the core mission of the CLARE project led by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), JoyNews, and the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies (C3SS) at the University of Ghana.
The initiative aims to equip journalists and researchers with the tools to tell compelling, people-centered, evidence-based climate stories that inspire action.
Climate reporting often feels distant due to scientific jargon and a lack of relatable data.
However, the CLARE project bridges that gap by translating research into impactful storytelling. Journalists and researchers received hands-on training to create narratives grounded in local realities.
JoyNews Senior Editor Evans Mensah urged journalists to humanize climate stories and amplify the voices of those most affected.
“We have to make the climate change conversation attractive by telling extraordinary stories of ordinary people within the context of climate issues. However, as journalists, we need to humanize the conversation, find the lives that are affected and the people who must solve the problem, connect them, and amplify those voices in a way that sparks action”, he stated.
Prof. Kwadwo Owusu from C3SS called for stronger collaboration between media and academia to make research accessible and actionable.
“With the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture and the biodiversity of our environment, it’s time for researchers to rise and work hand in hand to address the issues of food insecurity posed by climate change. However, researchers must be willing to break down their findings to journalists in a way that is reliable and comprehensive for people to understand.”
CDKN’s Prince Ansah emphasized the dual benefit of journalists gaining data-driven insight while researchers ensure their work reaches the public.
“The opportunities are that the media will continue to learn, especially in terms of evidence-based storytelling. The researchers will also be able to be in a position to know that their research doesn’t just end at producing the research, but also research does not end until it’s shared, or your research does not end until you share it. So, they also get to understand that, and that opportunity goes hand-in-hand for both parties moving forward”, he added.
JoyNews’ Ina-Thalia Quansah highlighted how the training exposed the urgent climate impacts in Ghana’s Western Region, stressing the need for community-focused storytelling.
“When we talk about energy, the Western Region stands out. We have the Atuabo gas plant, mining, oil, and more. It’s a resource-rich area, which means we also feel the harshest impacts of the climate crisis. I may not be quoting statistics, but based on what we’ve seen on the ground, the Western Region is deeply affected. That’s why I appreciate the organisers’ decision to include someone from this region in the training. It’s not just about writing stories; this is about advocacy. It’s about going into communities, using local radio, and helping people understand what’s at stake”, she said.
Country Coordinator for CDKN, Valerie Nutakor, underscored the importance of networking platforms like LinkedIn to amplify these conversations globally.
Meanwhile, the Strategic Partnerships and Projects Lead at the Multimedia Group, Emefa Atiamoah-Eli, noted the long-term goal to flood media platforms with accurate, locally relevant climate stories that drive change.
“There’s a rising interest in climate-related stories, making it an attractive and valuable area for journalists to explore. Thus, by bringing these untold or underreported climate issues to light, the media can inform the public and possibly influence real-world change related to climate mitigation and adaptation,” she said.
From debunking misinformation to simplifying science, the training covered it all—with plans to scale nationwide and transform how climate issues are reported across Ghana and West Africa.
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