Climate change and environmental issues are the new ‘trend’ in the media or so it would seem. But are they really? There was a time when journalists would find it hard to ‘pitch’ their stories on these issues to their editors. Only a ‘hard sell’ or a connection to a high-profile event or cataclysmic happening would get them the editorial nod; otherwise, at best, they would be tucked in an obscure column or aired at an unearthly hour on the airwaves.

Years ago, I made a statement at a media event regarding the fact that if climate change wasn’t given the space it deserved, a time would come when it would snatch the headlines and occupy the front pages. Subsequent climate-induced disasters did just that, although I wish I had not been proved correct in this instance.

Generally, when making a rapid assessment, we equate prominence with influence, and in Pakistan, as far as the legacy media houses are concerned, their reach has primarily been measured by influence rather than clout. While this is not the forum to go into the whys and hows of this, it has to be said that the English-language media has, for the most part, been considered more influential than the Urdu-language or regional media.

However, it also needs to be acknowledged that the regional language media has played a very robust and vibrant role in giving space to environmental awareness, climate change advocacy and highlighting the issues related to these matters. In doing so, they have been able to reach a wider audience that, for the most part, has no access to the Urdu and English language press.

Regional media coverage is embedded in on-ground realities.

As a result, it has successfully brought life to voices that people would otherwise be unaware of. Because of the ease of communicating in the same language as the people whose stories they want to project and in the right cultural context, their coverage has been more nuanced. Furthermore, the democratisation in the dissemination of information through the digital space has also brought greater depth to their coverage.

The mainstream media is generally resource-strapped. Sending teams deep into remote areas means allocating reporters, whose numbers are dwindling, added to which are transportation and equipment expenses, boarding, lodging and so on. It is far easier for regional journalists to reach a spot and cover an issue or an event. I experienced this firsthand during the floods of 2010 when the mainstream media was just readying its team, which could only reach accessible locations via the roads that had not been washed away. It is still fair to say that the regional media has been successful in featuring in-depth articles and research reports on a variety of topics, including some inspiring success stories.

Digital has given a great fillip to smaller media houses, which can now invest in capacity building without having to divert resources to maintaining a physical presence. Furthermore, opportunities offered by media development organisations have been snapped up by freelance digital content creators who learn the tricks of the trade, are not restricted to the whims of their editors and can pitch their stories to others if refused from one outlet.

There is also an increasing trend in climate change and environmental journalists self-publishing on platforms and monetising them.

This growth of local and regional self-published media may not benefit from editorial oversight, but the more diligent focus on honing their fact-checking and data journalism skills. No longer do we have to lament the paucity of real, grounded content as far as climate change and environmental discourse are concerned, as the widening media landscape is now giving the English-language media a run for its money.

Afia Salam is a journalist, climate change advocate and member of the National Climate Change Council.