Today is our commemoration of World press freedom day, focusing on the environmental crisis.
Prof Wasserman welcomes the audience to the proceedings.
Today’s panel at the commemoration.
Dr Dominic states that stories about the environmental need to be relatable and also objective. The press is not removed from society as such, it needs to be engaging for the grassroots to understand.
Rupert states that the language around destruction vs rejuvenation needs to be reevaluated. The environment naturally evolves which often deemed as destruction. While there is destruction, there needs to be actual distinguishing between the two.
David Le Page states that our economic history is that extraction & exploitation is the main way to gain prosperity, amplified in the fossil fuel industry. The press is also at fault as it listens to the private sector and not to civil society.
Our keynote speaker, Leonie Joubert , states that strong narrative storytelling is key in relating science and environmental news
Leonie Joubert states that corporations tends to shift the blame to consumers when they, corporates, are the producers of the products in which the consumers consume. The narrative needs to change and place the responsibility on corporations
Prof Wasserman thanking Leonie Joubert for her address and how it really encapsulated the importance of drawing attention to the environmental crisis as it requires constant interventions to save our planet.
Anneli Groenewald , Honours Coordinator, introduces the Class of 2024 and their production process in their newspaper “The State Of The Element”
SMF Newspaper Editor, Sheree Vollenhoven, introduces the class’s newspaper. She states that the human condition of the environmental crisis is central to their publication
SMF official newspaper front cover: The State of the Elements: South Africa’s Climate Crisis
SMF art director, Marilza Adenhorff states that the cover represents time. We have limited time to save the planet and we need to do all that we can to reverse current negative effects
