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A first step: getting the Natura 2000 Network talked about
In the first place, the Natura 2000 Network has to be talked and written
about. In our case, EFE and EFEverde have been making a stake for
environmental journalism for a while - hence it is a success story, if you
allow me to say so, or at least an experience worth being known because
it can serve as a benchmark for others. We are one of the few media to
boast an specialized team that, for over two decades, has been working
with these matters in all sorts of channels and formats, from teletype to
social media. Now we also have Natura 2000 Network experts on board.
I will explain this. As regards informing on the Natura 2000 Network,
we have been doing so from before the creation of the Network itself.
In fact, if we do a search in EFE database (a virtual memory of all our
information production) we come accross the first reference to the future
network in a teletype message dated 28 April 1998 where we talked
about the future Natural Habitats Directive. The news piece, issued in
Madrid, was titled “Eight autonomous communities are in favour of
Spain supporting the Habitats Directive” (I will just mention an anecdote:
in those first years different possible names for the network are still to be
found in texts). From those days up to today, we, the journalists of the
different information services of EFE have written and transmitted over
7.000 pieces of news where the Natura 2000 Network is more or less
extensively mentioned. Out of those, 1.319 were issued by the National
and International services. There may be some repetitions (transmissions
by different regional services) and it may seem a high number,
but it is tiny if compared to other areas of information (politics, football,
culture...) In any case, there is one unquestionable fact: EFE is the medium
in Spanish language who has devoted more space to the Natura
2000 Network.
Natura 2000 Network. Handbook for journalists 77