The Magazine of Dubai Women's College Volume 16 Issue 2, May ...

22 > FEATURE
WORKING
with the media
TEXT > Shahd Khaled & Jawaher Bufaroosha
“We cherish our environment because it is an integral part of our
country, our history and our heritage. On land and in the sea, our
forefathers lived and survived in this environment. It is a duty and,
if we fail, our children, rightly, will reproach us for squandering
an essential part of their inheritance, and of our heritage,” Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan, the late UAE President said.
Protecting the environment is a duty, as Sheikh
Zayed always stressed, but it does not fall
only on the shoulders of the government and
environment non-governmental organizations
(NGOs). There is an important key player
whose efforts could bring change on a vast
scale. The media can educate the public on
the dangers facing the environment and
generate public consciousness and awareness
of their responsibilities. Does the media in the
UAE play an effective role in educating people
about the environment?
Workshop during the conference.
What are the communication strategies that
could help get environmental messages across
to the public in the country. Desert Dawn
went with those questions to environmentalists
and journalists in an attempt to highlight the
significant role of the media regarding the
environment. According to the Environment
Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), UAE media coverage
of environmental issues is abundant and
has significantly altered the dimensions of
public debate. However, journalists often fail
to develop complex environmental issues. This
happens due to gaps in awareness or lack of
personal interest in the issue. Environmental
issues in general pose a severe challenge to
established routines of news making, because Participants of the Media and Enviro Conference.
Photo provided by Laila Al Hassan
Photo provided by Shahad Khalid