February 2018 newsletter

Welcome to IBT’s February newsletter with an update on our work and relevant news from the media industry.

View the latest IBT Newsletter in PDF format.

Launch of Faking It, February 13th

Later his month we’ll be launching our new report Faking It – fake news and how it impacts on the charity sector. This is the first report that looks specifically at the way in which fake news affects the work of NGOs and should be of particular interest to IBT members. The launch will take place at the offices of ITN at 9.30am on Tuesday February 13th. The report author, Helen Magee, will present her findings, and there will be a panel discussion, chaired by ITN’s Penny Marshall. Panellists include Patrick Worrall, FactCheck producer at Channel 4 News, Erin Simpson from the Oxford Internet Institute and Sean Ryan from Save the Children. Places are limited so please register now via the IBT website if you’d like to attend.

Briefing with ITV News, February 21st

Our next briefing will be with Michael Herrod, Foreign Editor at ITV News. Michael will talk to us about the sort of international stories he’s interested in and how best to pitch ideas to him and his colleagues. ITV News has a commitment to maintaining its reputation for distinctive international coverage. Michael also commissions longer reports for ITV’s monthly current affairs show, On Assignment. The briefing will be at 10am on Wednesday February 21st. Please book in the usual way via the IBT website.

Networking breakfast with Unreported World

Last month we held our first networking event so that IBT members could meet each other and the new team at Unreported World. We heard from Marta Shaw, series producer and Eamonn Matthews, the executive producer. Both said they were keen to hear from any IBT members wishing to pitch stories to them. They are still looking for ideas for the current run, which would mean filming in March or April. More details can be found in the briefing note on the members’ page of the IBT website.

Social media refresher

Last month we also held a social media training session with our regular trainer, Martin Carter. Martin took us through the latest trends across the main social media platforms – Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter – and gave examples of best practice from a range of NGOs. You can watch the video of Martin’s top tips here:

Shortlist announced for the IBT international TV programme of the year

We have announced the shortlist for our new award, which is being run in conjunction which the audience group, VLV. Many thanks to all the IBT members who put forward their nominations and congratulations to the six shortlisted programmes:

• Exodus – Our Journey Continues
• Joanna Lumley’s India
• Russia with Simon Reeve
• The Insider – Reggie Yates
• The Ganges with Sue Perkins
• Unreported World.

The winner will be announced at the VLV Awards on April 19th.

BBC commits to more environmental programming

After the success of Blue Planet 2 and its focus on plastic, the BBC has announced a new raft of environmental programmes for prime time TV. There will be a BBC1 special, Drowning in Plastic, presented by Liz Bonnin; The Mediterranean with Simon Reeve will also feature plastic pollution; and Stacey Dooley will front The Truth About What You Wear, in which she will examine how fashion in the UK is leading to rainforest deforestation, water contamination and pollution.

Media coverage of humanitarian crises

Suffering in Silence, a report by Care International, has highlighted ten of the world’s most under-reported crises. Top of the list are North Korea, Eritrea and Burundi. The report argues that we rarely hear in the media about countries that are not popular tourist destinations, strategically important or hard to access. And since there is a close link between media coverage, public awareness and funding for humanitarian relief, efforts to tackle these under-reported crises are more likely to be underfunded.

• Download the full Suffering in Silence report (pdf)
• Read the Guardian article, North Korea tops list of world’s most neglected humanitarian crises

New evidence on children’s TV viewing habits

A survey by the research company, Childwise, has revealed that children in the UK are watching at least 2 hours a day of TV or video content. They are typically using mobile phones, laptops or tablets, and watching on their own, rather than sitting around the TV set. The survey has also revealed a worrying trend, that children are increasingly concerned about global events. IBT is urging broadcasters to commission more international content that helps children to understand what is happening in the world.

Read the Guardian’s article about the survey, Number of children worrying about war and terror rises sharply

Fall in trust in social media

The latest Edelman Trust Barometer has shown a small fall in trust in social media platforms with many in the UK saying they are now cutting back on their consumption of news. A fifth of people surveyed say they avoid news altogether.

Read the Guardian’s analysis of the Edelman Trust Barometer survey.

Talking about climate change

The IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has taken advice on how to improve its communications. There’s a general perception that this group of renowned scientists has failed to reach the wider public with its findings. Now Climate Outreach, the research group that specializes in communicating climate science, has produced a handbook for the IPPC. The handbook makes for interesting reading for anyone who is struggling with how best to convey the urgency of climate change to a sceptical public. There are some key messages for the scientists: concentrate on the human story not the big numbers; relate the findings to changes that will take place in people’s everyday lives; and focus on agreed facts rather than areas of uncertainty.

• Read Adam Corner’s (Climate Outreach) blog that explains the thinking behind the guidelines.
• View the IPPC communications handbook

IRIN News survey

The humanitarian news agency, IRIN, is asking its audiences to give feedback on its service. The feedback will contribute to a wider analysis being conducted by Martin Scott at the University of East Anglia.

Take part in the IRIN News survey

Best wishes

Mark

IBT’s mission is to use the media to further awareness and understanding of people’s lives in the developing world and the issues which affect them.