The Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) and the American Friend Service Committee (AFSC) are partnering to offer a training for early career journalists to strengthen their capacity to understand and cover environmental justice topics, investigate environmental issues, and engage with international climate diplomacy. The aim is to help equip local early career and aspiring journalists with the tools and knowledge to report on the multifaceted environmental crises the MENA traverses.

The Context:

This workshop aims to support journalists across the region to report on environmental justice by providing practical tools, in-depth knowledge, and access to regional networks. By connecting environmental activism, policy, and journalism, the initiative fosters cross-sector collaboration and strengthens the capacity of both mainstream and independent media to cover critical environmental issues. The workshop aims to cover stories and investigations and offers concrete pathways for journalists to engage with and report on international climate diplomacy. Through these actions, ARI and AFSC aims to support regional journalists in driving public discourse and shaping narratives around environmental transition and justice.

The training will be on the 9th-10th of September 2025 in Beirut, Lebanon, please note that ARI and AFSC will cover all your travel and hotel expenses in Beirut for the duration of the training.

The training will be divided into 5 sessions, each given by a dedicated trainer:

Part 1: Understanding environmental justice narratives in the media:

This session will discuss:

• How are issues linked to environmental justice reported in the MENA, and how does it intersect with social, economic, and political factors?
• How are environmental issues framed in mainstream media versus alternative media, and what are the challenges of reporting on environmental policies in restrictive media environments?

Part 2: Reporting on international climate negotiations and advocacy (COP & Beyond):

This session will discuss:

• How to follow and report on COP summits and international climate agreements?
• How to write impactful environmental opinion pieces that bridge international and local narratives?
• What strategies and tools can journalists use to effectively report on COP summits and global climate agreements?

Part 3: Environmental journalism in times of conflict:

This session will discuss:

• How should journalists cover the environmental impacts of conflicts? How can journalists access knowledge and information in such circumstances, especially given the dangers to their lives?
• In circumstances like Syria or Gaza, how can environmental journalists use their work to advocate for their communities?

Part 4: Investigative techniques & tools for environmental journalism, and the use of AI

This session will discuss:

• How to conduct environmental investigations on issues such as tracking resource mismanagement, water scarcity, deforestation, climate finance, and corporate green-washing? What role can AI play here?
• What are the Ethical considerations in environmental journalism, including security risks, corporate and political pressures, and narrative bias?

Part 5: Presentations from the participants:

Following the end of the training, participants will be asked to present 1 by 1 how they will be implementing what they in the training to their own work, and how the new knowledge and techniques they learned will help them in their career development

The training will be bilingual in Arabic and in English.

Objectives of the training sessions

• To further the discussion on what technological and AI tools can be used

• To understand how to research, visualize and depict data and statistics about the impact of conflict on the environment.
• Understand the intersectionality between environmental justice, conflicts and international climate negotiations.

Eligibility:

We welcome applications from researchers, activists and practitioners from the Arab region (living in the region or in diaspora).

Applicants should correspond to the following criteria:

• Demonstrated interest or experience in environmental, climate, or sustainability reporting.

• A clear commitment to investigative journalism and environmental justice storytelling.
• Strong writing, video, or multimedia storytelling skills.
• Early career journalists, journalism student, media professionals, or content creators from the MENA, working in mainstream or alternative media

Applicants should have a working knowledge of English and Arabic.

To apply, please fill in this form.

Application Deadline is 5 days after posting the call, and we will only contact selected candidates

For any questions and inquiries please contact: Camille Mroue at c.mroue@arab-reform.net and Tagreed William Odeh at twilliam@afsc.org

The two organizing Institutions

The Arab Reform Initiative is an independent Arab think tank working with expert partners in the Middle East and North Africa and beyond to articulate a home-grown agenda for democratic change and social justice. It conducts research and policy analysis and provides a platform for inspirational voices based on the principles of diversity, impartiality, and gender equality.

The American Friend Service Committee works for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. We join with people and partners worldwide to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.