Europe’s climate journalism is in crisis

While Italian climate physicist Antonello Pasini explained on air how extreme weather signalled climate change, his words vanished into thin air. Not by natural phenomena, but by an editorial decision at RAI, Italy’s public broadcaster, that stopped his speech. This “strategic little cut” echoes a worrying trend across Europe. From Hungary’s strict government control of the free press to France’s repression of critical reports on agribusiness pollution, climate journalists face many threats. Violence, legal harassment, and the quiet pressure of self-censorship are silencing critical voices. The consequences? A public starved of crucial information as corporate interests dominate climate narratives.

With 87% of environmental journalists struggling to access vital data, according to a new report, the truth about our heating planet often remains hidden. The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time. How we report on it, how we understand it, and how we respond to it will shape the world for generations to come. In these times of climate crisis, this mandate has never been more crucial — or more under threat.

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As an environmental journalist, I’m deeply alarmed by the threats climate reporters face worldwide. UNESCO’s data is chilling: 749 environmental journalists attacked in 15 years, 44 killed. This isn’t just about silencing reporters; it’s about keeping you in the dark on our planet’s greatest crisis.

Published on: https://www.europeancorrespondent.com/r/opinion-europes-climate-journalism-is-in-crisis.