Warming Up: Partnership with Griffith University addressing climate change
The CBAA has joined with Griffith University to investigate and develop educational programs so that Australian community media can report on climate change and drive the conversation in their communities.
Because their areas were severely affected and they played such a vital role in keeping their communities safe during the 2019-2020 bushfires, community radio has a crucial role in reporting and leading the conversation locally on climate change. After a successful pilot ran in NSW (Phase One), there are now plans to roll out the program to other regions.
The Pilot Project
This pilot project identified an opportunity for the community radio sector to lead its communities in climate action initiatives. The report followed reviews of academic and grey literature, a webinar organised by CBAA, and pilot case studies with five radio stations based around New South Wales who were selected for their interest in the project and experience with climate change in their communities.
WEBINAR: Warming Up – Climate Reporting on Community Broadcasting
Warming Up Victoria - Building the capacity of community broadcasting to communicate climate change
The "Warming Up Victoria" project, funded by the Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund and conducted by Griffith University in collaboration with the CBAA, aims to enhance community resilience by leveraging the unique position of community radio to foster meaningful conversations about climate change. This initiative seeks to support adaptation, mitigation, and preparedness for climate disasters through locally relevant communication strategies.
The project involved seven community radio stations across Victoria, representing a diverse range of communities, including ethnic, Indigenous, regional, and faith-based stations.
The report identifies barriers to using community radio as a means to communicating about climate change including the varying beliefs of broadcasters, limited capacity and resources, and practical and emotional challenges in reporting on emergency situations for volunteers.
However, opportunities were found in station and community willingness to discuss climate change, the unique ability of community radio to connect local climate issues with global ones and the potential for community radio to serve as a feedback channel for policymakers and to amplify marginalised voices.
The project proposes expanding its scope nationally to further support the Australian community radio sector in leading climate action initiatives. This includes developing an e-learning course with modules focused on local climate impacts, storytelling, and emergency broadcasting.
