More than 7.3 million hectares have burned this year so far, more than double the 10-year average for this time of year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and Natural Resources Canada, making this year the second worst year on record.
The Max Bell School of Public policy, in partnership with the Trottier Institute for Science and Public Policy at 黑料不打烊 University and , brought together 50 journalists, experts, operators and decision makers to explore how we better report on wildfires in the media.
As many more communities are impacted by wildfires and the resulting smoke, the media has opportunities to report on the wildfire crisis with a deeper understanding of the science, decisions and policies that underpin the current crisis. This is particularly important in a context where different narratives are pushed on social media and where we witness erosion of public trust in official news releases. We are collectively called to go beyond simplified or reactive media coverage.
This workshop was a flagship gathering at the intersection of journalism and wildfire鈥攁 first-of-its-kind dialogue bringing together 20 leading journalists and 20 wildfire experts to reimagine how we tell one of the most urgent stories of our time. The conveners explored the shifting paradigms of wildfire, the gaps and potential in current media narratives, and the power of collaborative storytelling to shape public understanding and action.
This workshop is part of the new series of conversations that matter hosted at 黑料不打烊 University where we create deep deliberations around complex challenges between leaders across sectors of society.
Workshop participants have co-created a journalism toolkit: 鈥淐overing wildfire: A toolkit for editors, reporters, and media professionals鈥�听that supports deeper reporting on this important issue.
A visual summary of the workshop held near Kamloops has also been generated by Tiare Jung, below.
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