Young Reporters for the Environment

Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), promoted locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is an international network of young people involved in environmental journalism and education for sustainable development.

The international programme operates in 35 countries. The goal for participants, aged 11 to 21, is to investigate environmental issues and problems and report on them through written, photographic or video journalism while investigating solutions.

The participants investigate environmental issues and problems and report on them through written, photographic or video journalism, wherever possible proposing solutions.

YRE develops participants' skills and knowledge, for example, giving them a deeper understanding of sustainable development; enhancing their communication and citizenship skills, individual initiative; team work; critical analysis; social responsibility and leadership abilities.

Young Reporters for the Environment do three things:

1. Investigate a local environmental problem or issue:
• Identify, define and communicate a local environmental problem and/or issue
• Investigate (look up, compare, interpret, evaluate) relevant information from primary and secondary sources
• Identify key individuals and groups and find out what their different perspectives on the issue are, their approaches to resolving it and their assumptions and goals
• Conduct original research, such as surveys/questionnaires, and interview key individuals or groups to obtain first-hand information
• Cover relevant historical, economic, social and/or political implications and possible consequences of the problem or issue
• Link the local environmental problem and/or issue to the bigger global picture (problem)
2. Propose Solutions to a local environmental problem or issue:
• Identify a possible solution to an environmental problem and/or issue and evaluate its likely effectiveness, giving reasons for and against (pros and cons)
• Develop and propose a solution and justify it
3. Report on a local environmental issue and its possible solution through a journalistic production targeting a local audience:
• Identify your target audience and choose the best way to reach and communicate with them, i.e. which media do they read/watch/listen to?
• Plan how you will report on the problem and/or issue (who need to be informed? how? when?) and use the appropriate journalistic format and style
• Create an article, photograph, photographic essay of up to 12 photographs, or video that documents the environmental problem and/or issue; where possible you should suggest a solution
• Take a positive approach to inspiring change and finding a solution
• Share (disseminate) your work to a local audience through the media, e.g. newspaper, magazine, radio, television, social media, exhibition, film show, local events, etc.

For further details please contact charlene.mckeown@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.