Online Reporter
James Nyandowe
A TWO-DAY workshop on Transformative Edutainment for Climate Crisis Communication: Prioritising Vulnerable Communities gets underway at the University of Zimbabwe today.
It is set to bring together young students and journalists to share knowledge and skills.
This comes at a time when the world is grappling with the effects of climate change.
The workshop’s mission is to produce entertainment and education-based media content highlighting the impact of climate change on marginalised communities.
The content will include a special newspaper supplement, a comic book, short films and documentaries as part of edutainment initiatives designed to engage and inform diverse audiences.
Participating students will showcase their media content, which will be peer-reviewed and considered for publishing or broadcasting.
The workshop is being facilitated by the UZ Department of Creative Media and Communications in partnership with several civil society organisations and media houses.
“The workshop brings together young students in tertiary institutions and journalists/media content creators to share knowledge, skills and experiences in communicating the climate crisis,” said Professor Nehemiah Chivandikwa, one of the workshop’s organisers. “This year’s workshop is dedicated to producing entertainment and education-based media content that focuses on how climate change uniquely impacts marginalised communities.”
“Given their competence and interest in entertainment media, young people are likely to produce climate change mitigation and adaptation narratives that are accessible and appealing to both vulnerable communities and power holders.”
Belinda Chirodza, a part-four Journalism, Media, and Broadcasting student, said he was excited to take part.
“I’m looking forward to learning how to create compelling media narratives that highlight the impact of climate change on our communities.”
Lisa Mudimu, an Honours in Creative Design, Animation and Motion Graphics student, said:“I am motivated to participate in this workshop because I recognise the urgent need for effective communication strategies to address the climate crisis.
“I am eager to deepen my knowledge and learn new things on the topics, particularly in interactive discussions and practical exercises that will allow me to apply what I learn in real-world scenarios.”
This is the second Media and Climate Crisis Communication workshop to be hosted by the University of Zimbabwe.
