Bukavu: Towards the Creation of Internationally-Oriented Environmental Journalism

Environmental journalists from South Kivu are determined to carry their voices beyond the Congolese borders. Gathered at a workshop held at the Bureau of the Environmental Civil Society in Bukavu city September 5th, 2025 , with the support of the Congo Basin Conservation Society, they reflected on ways to bring their work into major international media outlets.

For Janvier Barhahiga, coordinator of ZUKA Sarl, a company specialized in social awareness campaigns, journalists must address local environmental issues with a global vision in order to find a market. He reminded that any coverage of environmental topics such as fires, erosion, water pollution, illegal fishing of fry, anarchic construction, ecocide, agroecology, community forests, protection of wildlife and biodiversity, should rely on at least four sources. These include a community member who is a victim or an actor in a solution initiative, a lawyer to explain the legal framework, a political or administrative decision-maker to present the public response, and an expert or scientist to clarify perspectives.

According to him, with social media and the rise of solution-oriented journalism, Congolese journalists can become international references and sell their work to outlets such as BBC, RFI, Reuters, AFP, Mongabay, or Jeune Afrique, provided they are in order with a national UNPC press card, a bank account, and a passport.

For his part, Égide Kitumaini, provincial secretary of the UNPC and head of the online media Watchdogmedia, stressed the need to go beyond simply reporting problems. He stated that environmental journalism must be solution-oriented journalism, which proposes concrete avenues and compels decision-makers to act or to prevent crises.

Justin Kumbari, founder of Mkulima.org and head of the agroecology consultancy firm Ekagri, emphasized the many opportunities offered by the sector. He noted that cooperatives, forests, lakes, local communities, rivers, mining maps and rich biodiversity can make excellent subjects, opening doors to international media. He encouraged journalists to work in synergy, to train themselves in project writing, technical notes, terms of reference and budgets, and above all, to develop income-generating activities to self-finance, instead of depending only on the meager salaries from their newsrooms.

At the end of this day of discussions, participants from eight different media outlets committed to strengthening the promotion of environmental journalism, multiplying solution-oriented initiatives, and seizing international opportunities.