Quality of environmental information

1. Quality of environmental information Aleksandra Radevska Macedonia Journalists for human rights www.detstvo.org.mk

2. Environmental information on different levels by different stakeholders On national level The Ministry of environment and physical planning is active and visible through: -web sites -monitoring stations -electronic public opinion researches -joining international campaigns -press conferences -educational programs -mobile applications

3. On local level -websites -press conferences -promotional activities -”green initiatives” -cooperation with NGOs

4. Public participation a crucial link in the chain of quality of environmental information -NGO working groups for public participation -street protests -media coverage -debates -right on free access to information

5. Gaps,flaws and consequences • Lack of pressure by autorities on longterm pollutants to comply with the law • Partial or non-existing institutional information due to system errors, irregularities, lack of chain responsibility • Institutional abuse of the right to refuse information • Slow communication between authorities and citizens

6. Inconsistencies in information high in rural areas • Problems in jurisdiction among local authorities and local businesses • Low media coverage of local issues

7. Media as crisis managers not crisis creators • In-depth reporting on negative influences of certain environmental states causes public awareness, influences perception, but also changes public agenda • For example, a recent research story showed that every year there are 4.500 new cancer cases, considering that two thirds of the year there is air pollution and one third of death cases are due to air pollution • Increased number of cancer cases due to air pollution, consequences on vegetables from soil pollution, toxic chemical waste etc, are topics on which 90 percent of the citizens get information from press and television • However ,environmental information don’t get the spotlight in a climate where press freedom has fallen to 123 place, placing Macedonia 84 steps lower in the last 4 years

8. Media - educators or “sensationalism” chasers • Educated public often comes as a critic that can point out when authorities should react according to law. That is why informing the public regularly and thoroughly on topics that affect their wellbeing and the right to healthy life should be among priority subjects in media. Unfortunately media are usually triggered to follow this topics after an NGO campaign or civil action is taken

9. Changing trends in spreading environmental information • Considering constant communication modernization mobile applications turn up as an easy accessible and mass tool for spreading information, as well as social media, facebook, twitter etc. • There is a trend on reporting periodically and connected to activities of the governing sector • This year there is rising trend in treatment of subjects of environment in online media, followed by print media, while TV and radio are still least involved • Rising need for bigger visibility of the problems for media as well as for stakeholders, whether in form of actions, controls, educational campaigns, trainings, debates etc. • As quality of information asks for continuous corrections, improvement and intensifying from all stakeholders, perhaps different approach is needed

10. Thank you for your attention