BERLIN – GERMANY: – Hostwriter, an award-winning global network that helps journalists to collaborate across borders; and and Unbias The News, a feminist newsroom fighting structural barriers within the media, today announced the launch of The Sinking Cities Project to connect, train, and publish local journalists covering how rising sea levels and coastal flooding caused by climate change threaten cities.
“We will bring together local reporters from cities that are likely to be impacted by imminent sea-level rise and offer them training, networking, and most importantly, paid publication opportunities”, declared Tina Lee, editor-in-chief at Unbias The News and head of publications at Hostwriter, announcing the project in Berlin, Germany.
“Why are some of Africa’s largest construction projects underway in Lagos, Nigeria, a city projected to be submerged by coastal flooding in the next decades? Why is Karachi, Pakistan proceeding ahead at full speed with the construction that blocks drainage when dozens or even hundreds are killed in yearly monsoon floods projected to increase? Why is Dublin, Ireland allowing new developments in areas soon to be below sea level? What are officials doing in Alexandria to prepare for flooded coastlines when buildings are already collapsing at the highest rate in Egypt?” – Lee questioned.
According to Hostwriter and Unbias The News, The Sinking Cities Project is an ambitious cross-border investigation that seeks to determine why threatened cities, rather than preparing, appear to be building expensive construction projects that contribute to environmental damage,
The organizations promised to train local journalists, particularly those underrepresented in climate journalism, and give them publication opportunities to join a global conversation about climate change.
“These journalists will work together to investigate the question of preparedness in their cities and expose not only failures but also possible innovations and solutions underway”, the statement announcing the launch reads in part. “Perhaps in comparing different cities and connecting Global North and South, new ideas will arise that can be useful in more than one place”.
Lee noted that the project will support journalists who live and work in the cities affected. Despite award-winning stories by legacy media that examine climate change, local journalists, particularly women and those in the Global South, have been structurally disadvantaged from having their stories reach the international conversation. “We want to contribute to making that shift – and make sure these stories get the attention they deserve before disaster strikes”.
As our Managing Directors, Julia Verneresson and Mercy Abang have expressed: “Climate reporting is one of the least diversified areas of journalism, and the need for change is very urgent”. It is with this goal in mind that Hostwriter and Unbias The News are launching The Sinking Cities Project as we look to start tackling the diversity problem in climate journalism.
If you want to find out more about The Sinking Cities Project, please read more about it in our latest article here, and feel free to get in touch with [email protected] if you want to support this project and help us to expand its reach.
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About Unbias the News: Unbias the News is a feminist cross-border newsroom that actively fights against the perpetuation of racist, sexist and ableist stereotypes. The remote cross-border newsroom supports underrepresented journalists whose stories are missing from the international news.
Hostwriter: Hostwriter is an open network that helps journalists easily collaborate across borders. We support members at all career levels to raise the quality of media coverage by providing local contacts around the globe. All journalists provide work samples through professional verification, and membership is free of charge.
