Navigating your way around a REDD story

This guide, published by Panos London, explains why forests are a vital and controversial issue in global climate change negotiations and provides journalists with tips on how to report about REDD — reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

REDD is a proposed mechanism to slow the loss of forests — and therefore climate change — by paying forest nations, often developing countries, to stop deforestation.

But implementing the scheme is proving to be complex and challenging, because it unearths issues of national sovereignty, human rights, big money and corruption.

This media pack gives journalists insight into the scale of deforestation and the driving forces and competing interests behind it. It outlines the key players, debates and controversies, as well as the hurdles in the way of making REDD a success.

It helps journalists prepare for reporting REDD by outlining the reasons why it is a difficult topic to cover, such as the difficulty of obtaining up to date forest data or contacting remote forest communities.

It also suggests key questions to ask to ensure REDD journalism puts the scheme in context and all voices are heard. It also lists useful organisations and contacts.