The report is pitted against nominated entries from, among others, the giants CBS News and the news agency AP to win “Covering Climate Now” in the short video feature category. The contribution is Erika Bjerström and Ronald Verhoeven’s report on the floods in Pakistan, when a third of the country was submerged.
– Climate monitoring is one of the world’s fastest growing areas of monitoring where media houses invest large resources. The Washington Post, for example, has just hired 30 climate journalists. That’s why it’s extra fun that our contribution was nominated, says Erika Bjerström, who has monitored the climate issue for many years on behalf of SVT.
Raises many perspectives
The jury for “Covering Climate Now”, an association of 500 news organizations from 56 countries, writes in its justification that SVT’s team succeeded in “including many perspectives in a short news report”.
In part, they highlight an interview with a Pakistani farmer who was forced to live in a tent with his family where they had to deal with difficult supplies of food and water. Another perspective raised is a businessman in Karachi who donated solar-based mobile chargers to stranded villagers.
A total of 76 finalists in 15 categories have been selected from nearly 1,100 entries. Among the nominees for “Covering Climate Now” are also CBS Sunday Morning, the Los Angeles Times, Deutsche Welle and smaller media such as Africa Uncensored, StateImpact Pennsylvania, InfoNile, Laist.
The winners will be announced during Climate Week in September.