bird News Agency launches project to shift the narrative on climate action in Africa
bird stories will show African innovation and agency in the face of the climate crisis and bird will also send bird journalists to attend COP27.
bird news agency is funded by Africa No Filter, which works to shift stereotypical narratives about Africa and is part of a wider project by Africa No Filter to change narratives on, and in, the continent. This climate action project is supported by the Africa Climate Foundation.
“This is a unique opportunity to raise awareness of Africans as agents in the face of climate change and bird is in exactly the right position to do this. Africans are not passively accepting climate change, we’re engaging, we’re innovating, we’re finding local solutions and pushing to be a part of a far larger, global response to the climate crisis,” explained Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter.
bird has editorial control of the project and has pulled together a team to oversee all content. The news agency engages writers and videographers from across the continent to deliver multi-media stories to a virtual newsroom. Operations at bird are managed by Nairobi-based Africancontent specialist, Africa InSight, run by former regional editor at Reuters, Tom Kirkwood and bird content is published and broadcast daily across Africa.
“We’ve engaged a team to help build out and distribute content showing local, human
responses to the crisis in ways that make the content accessible to readers and audiences across the continent and overseas - changing the narrative in the process. The content will ensure that Africans are recognised as key agents driving solutions to face this potential extinction event, as part of a global community,” Kirkwood said.
On top of bird’s usual daily output, this initiative will see Africa’s climate story – told through African eyes - delivered to African and international news publications and platforms. Content includes video content for broadcasters as well as written stories, pictures, graphics and infographics for traditional and digital publications.