Why does Space for Giants run a journalism programme?

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Conservation organisations often do a good job of talking to people in faraway countries about their work and why they do it. They haven’t been so adept at explaining that to those in the places where they operate. That can lead to misunderstandings that get in the way of earning the trust and support of policymakers in national capitals and people who live in the landscapes we’re trying to help conserve and among the wild animals we aim to protect.?

One of the fastest ways to start to correct those misunderstandings is to reach huge audiences with accurate and objective journalism in the mass media. Space for Giants recognised this power more than half a decade ago when we launched the African Conservation Journalism Fellowships in Kenya and Uganda in partnership with ESI Media in the UK, which owns The Independent . We gather reporters working for national media or those with large audiences in each country, regularly mentor them as they prepare their stories, introduce them to contacts and networks, and most crucially, pay the costs of their travel and time to get into the detail of covering this underreported topic. Uniquely, the programme markets the journalists to other conservation stakeholders, positioning them as ‘go-to’ specialist reporters in their countries. They still publish their work on their outlets, but the best also appears in The Independent, bringing more African voices into the international debate on landscape and wildlife conservation.?

In 2021 we expanded the concept to four more countries when Space for Giants was subcontracted to deliver the USAID African Conservation Journalism Programme, part of its VukaNow programme to combat the illegal wildlife trade in southern Africa. It’s had a huge impact. Working with just 24 reporters - six each in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe - we have helped sharpen journalism on the battle against wildlife crime that has reached a minimum of three million people across the four countries. The reporters have produced astonishing 316 stories about wildlife crime and conservation - in many cases increasing their individual coverage of conservation up to sixfold from before they joined the programme.??

We’ve heard some great feedback from the reporters. Ivanilson Ramos produces stories for younger listeners on Radio Benguela in Angola and reckoned the travel grants were the programme’s greatest benefit. He said: “The information in my radio broadcasts has so much more impact when I have been to the ground and seen it in reality. People listen and believe it more because they know I have seen what’s happening”. Solomon Tjinkeya, who writes for Botswana’s Weekend Post from his base in Maun, said: “It’s helped me a lot. It broadened my understanding of environment and wildlife crime, which I was not specialising on before”. Mary Mundeya , who produces TV and written stories for outlets including Newshawks and Enviropress in Zimbabwe, said: “The programme opened my eyes to a whole new scope of how stories can be done: whether they are related to climate, environment, corruption, they can be channelled back to wildlife stories, which are underreported, and can always be told from the perspective of ordinary Zimbabweans”.?

The existing grant from USAID is now ending, and we are actively exploring ways to find new financial support for this programme so it can continue and further evolve. Please drop me a line if you would like to talk to us about this, and we highly recommend you have a read of some of the best of the reporters’ work here on The Independent and here on Space for Giants ’ website.?