COP10.org

- A Guide for those Heading to Nagoya for COP10

by Eric Johnston
Feb 14, 2010

Part II – Media
I shall presume, for the sake of this missive that you, dear reader, are somebody who is interested in attending the COP10 conference as a member of the media but not working full-time for a media organization. Perhaps you are a freelancer constantly taking on assignments. Or, perhaps you merely dabble in writing, photography, film production, editing, or blogging on occasion. I shall also presume that, even if you have a good deal of journalism experience, you’ve yet to navigate a United Nations conference.

First, the basics (and this paragraph will be straightforward and snark-free). Media registration can be done on-line, through the Convention on Biological Diversity. You will need a media organization to sponsor you by having the publisher, editor, or producer send a letter to the UN certifying that you’ll be covering COP10 for them. Thankfully, this is a United Nations conference. That means the definition of "news media" is rather liberal.

Normally, it encompasses any and all newspapers, wire services, magazines, TV and radio stations, trade and specialty magazines, information magazines, literary magazines (be they monthly or quarterly) and news sites on the Internet. The UN has also begun to recognize independent bloggers as news media, although getting approval can be a bit tricky compared to traditional media.

If you are in search of somebody to provide a letter of guarantee, you need to start making contacts now. Listed below are points to consider before firing off an e-mail or picking up the phone to ask an acquaintance or a total stranger to send a signed letter to the UN assuring them that, whatever bad habits and personality ticks you possess, and despite the concerns of your parole officer or psychiatrist, you can, and will, represent their organization professionally and competently in Nagoya:

1)   The purpose of COP10 is to draw up a treaty that provides for the protection and preservation of biological diversity beyond this year, the ``International Year of Biodiversity’’. The UN is hoping for a ``Kyoto Protocol for All Living Things.’’ In short, COP10 is not supposed to be just another UN gabfest with no real-world impact. There will be extremely important decisions deeply affecting real people (and plants and animals) coming out of the conference.

2)   Issues to be covered include not only how to ensure cuddly, photogenic and publicly popular species like polar bears, snow leopards, and giant sea turtles survive, but also how to protect old growth forests, preserve wetlands and river basins, and promote eco-friendly policies ranging from forestry to urban development to eco-tourism. In short, something for every section of the paper or magazine, or lots of different video reports.

3)   One of the biggest and most controversial subjects at Nagoya will be that of trading in living organisms for commercial purposes. The first week of the conference is likely to see corporate suits in Big Pharma and their pals in governments around the world squaring off against indigenous peoples, whose traditional lands contain plants that Big Pharma wants exclusive rights to. If you’re a snapper or a shooter, there is the potential for photographs and video of intense debate and, perhaps, confrontations between colorfully dressed protestors singing folksongs and waving banners, and grim-faced cops standing in front of stone-faced suits.

4)   As noted at the 1992 Rio Summit, climate change and biodiversity are closely linked. Yet with the COP15 climate change conference last December having ended in failure, and the climate change crowd uncertain as to what can be done to get things back on track, it’s important to remember that COP10 takes place just six weeks before the next climate change meeting in Mexico City. Thus, there will likely be a fair number of climate change officials from the UN in Nagoya, nervously watching the proceedings from the sidelines. COP10 is not just about biodiversity. It is also about climate change, and its conclusion will definitely affect whether or not the more politically sexy and media-friendly issue of a new climate change treaty is finally reached.

OK, those are some basic facts about COP10 for recalcitrant editors or producers wondering about what’s going on in Nagoya. But here are some of the common arguments you are likely to hear from editors and producers, and some ideas for counterarguments:

"IF THIS THING IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT, WHY HASN’T THERE BEEN MORE MEDIA COVERAGE OF IT?"

There are several reasons. First, unlike climate change, there has always been less media attention on an international agreement for biodiversity. Sure, there are tons of alarming reports on species and habitat loss in various parts of the world. But they’ve been largely piecemeal. The media has been slower to connect the dots about the importance of a coordinated global biodiversity policy than they were with climate change. There’s no conspiracy here (well, not much of one). Unlike climate change, there is no single body of scientists summarizing the evidence and making international policy recommendations on biodiversity issues that journalists can trumpet loudly (although given the recent problems with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, don’t be surprised if some editors now see that as a good thing).

Another reason is that, due to the lack of high-level attention, the Convention on Biological Diversity does not enjoy the same amount of funding as the UN Framework on Climate Change Convention. So, biodiversity officials lack the ability to court the world’s media to the extent climate change officials enjoy.

Finally, there is the fact that Japan, host of the conference, has not shown political leadership. You don’t see or hear the Japanese Prime Minister or the Japanese government talking up biodiversity with visiting dignitaries or promoting COP10 when they’re abroad to the extent the Danes pushed COP15.

But lack of a single scientific entity issuing pronouncements that make international headlines, a low profile among politicians, and relative silence on the part of the host government should not lead to the conclusion in editorial rooms that COP10 is unimportant.

"OK, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS THING MIGHT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WE REALIZED. BUT SENDING SOMEBODY OVER THERE TO SPEND THREE WEEKS IN THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRY? IT WILL BE MUCH CHEAPER IF WE JUST USE WIRE STORIES AND PHOTOS."

Not necessarily. Is hiring somebody to cover the conference as cheap as using wire service copy? No. But it need not be extremely expensive, either, and there is the added benefit of getting tailor-made journalism rather than the kind of assembly-line reporting the wire services provide. When it comes to cost, those living in the Kansai region have a big advantage over their Tokyo counterparts because their transportation expenses will be far less than what Tokyo-based freelancers will need to pay. I strongly recommend those who live closer to Nagoya than those in Tokyo send editors or producers a comparison between what it will cost for them to travel to Nagoya, and what they’ll have to pay if they go with a Tokyo-based freelancer. And anybody living in Japan, Tokyo or otherwise, should do a comparison between what it will cost to get to Nagoya and back for them and what it may cost to come in from abroad.

The other major cost, lodging, can be drastically reduced with advance scouting. Some hotels in Nagoya go for 3,800 yen/night and all sorts of other options (homestays, weekly mansions for groups, etc.) are available. If you have a total estimate included in your proposal, you’re way ahead of the game.

"WELL, OK. BUT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIND STORIES THAT NOBODY ELSE IS DOING? IF THIS THING IS REALLY IMPORTANT, IT’S GOING TO BE A MEDIA CIRCUS."

A circus it will surely be. But there may be far fewer clowns in the press room than expected. The city of Nagoya predicts 7,000 people total, and I assume that press and NGO facilities will be set up to accommodate around that number. The Japanese government, with no explanation as to why, has recently hinted the total might reach 8,000. But the last biodiversity conference, in Germany, drew only 4,000. So, in fact, the media and NGO centers may be surprisingly empty. Here’s why.

1)   This conference is being held in Japan, one of the world’s most expensive countries and very far away for media based outside of Asia. Given the horrible state of the worldwide economy and the fact newsrooms are cutting back, it’s harder than ever for an editor or producer to justify sending people abroad.

2)   As noted above, COP10 is not high on the world’s political radar, which means it’s not high on the world’s media radar. And news organizations tend to be herd-like. If our competition isn’t going to cover something, then why should we? A common refrain, to be sure. But that’s great news for journalists who do show up, as they may find that groupthink means they have less competition. That means better access to sources and more scoops and original reporting for those media organizations that broke from the herd.

3)   The timing of the COP10 conference is difficult. October is an extremely busy time of year and news organizations are stretched thin even in slow times. Only the biggest media that have shown a strong interest in biodiversity issues well before COP10 (BBC, Reuters) are likely to send a fair number of reporters, which leaves a lot of room for everyone else.

4)   Yes, in the age of the Internet blogger, and with the entire conference center likely to be wireless capable, anybody –delegate, NGO rep or media—can report in real time. Many, if not most, of these reports will be offered for free on the Internet. Yes, the thinking in newsrooms is increasingly that readers and viewers with a strong interest in things like biodiversity will follow the conference on the Internet for free anyway, so why waste time and money sending somebody from our staff or even hire a local freelancer? But all of that presumes lots of people will come to Nagoya, and there will be lots of free blogging that competes with traditional reporting. In fact, there may be far fewer bloggers than the editor or producer thinks, for all of the above reasons.

And, finally, let me address a question I often get from prospective freelancers:

"DO I REALLY NEED A PRESS BADGE? MAYBE IT’S EASIER TO GET AN NGO BADGE OR EVEN NO BADGE AT ALL."

A Press Badge means that:

--You can go anywhere in or out of the conference center.

-- Attend all official and NGO meetings open to the press.

--Attend all UN-sponsored press conferences, which are open to only those with Press badges (and the UN not only checks you before you enter the press room, it also has people going around and asking everyone already in the press room to show their badges, all to ensure no NGOs have snuck in).

--You have access to the press center, where you you’ll have a working room with chairs, tables, free computer access on LAN lines, computers (if you don’t bring your own), telephones and FAX machines.

--You’ll have easy access to all of the UN official documents as well as all of the NGO press releases, as soon as they are released.

--You will likely have access to a Media Only café or lunch counter, saving valuable time if you’re on deadline.

--You’ll have easy access to volunteer staff in the pressroom who can help you with everything from computer troubleshooting to looking up phone numbers to recommending the quickest way to get somewhere.

--It’s less likely security people will hassle you.

An NGO Badge is easier to get in some ways, but it means that:

-- Your movements will be more restricted in and around UN events. NGOs are not allowed in the press center, are not allowed to attend official UN conferences, and are not given priority seating at any events that are open.

As for no badge at all, well, you’re forgetting that security is likely to be tight. With no badge, you have zero access to the press center, the NGO area, or the conference hall.

In this reporter’s opinion, you lose more than gain by setting your sights low if you plan to write about COP10 for the media and yet only apply for an NGO badge. A Press badge is an ``Access: All Areas’’ pass. To get the most complete picture possible of what is happening, that’s what you need. More importantly, that’s what your editor or producer expects. Even if it transpires your job as a reporter does not require you to set foot inside the press center or even the conference hall, a press badge is still preferable. For your self-respect and the respect of those who you encounter.

Eric Johnston is a deputy editor for The Japan Times and is based in Osaka. He covered the 1997 Kyoto Protocol conference and the Copenhagen Accord conference last December. He is a veteran of numerous UN conferences in Japan and abroad. The opinions expressed within the piece are his and not those of The Japan Times.