University of Alaska Anchorage academic gives keynote talk on climate change communications

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Climate change is a transversal problem for the human race, how to report is a task of journalists and communicators. That is why the journalist and academic from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Paola Banchero, gave the talk: “Things in Common: Communicating Climate Change.”

The presentation took place in the Alejandro Covarrubias Room of the Central House of the University of La Serena, on Friday, July 5, and included the participation of the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Dr. Luperfina Rojas Escobar, the Director of the School of Journalism, Mg. Cristian Muñoz Catalán, among other authorities, academics and students.

alaska2Paola Banchero is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and has worked as a reporter and editor in different media outlets. In addition, she has taught courses and worked on the making and execution of documentaries related to the impact of climate change.

For the Director of the School of Journalism, Mg. Cristian Muñoz, the instance allows to connect two geographically distant institutions, but close in various academic nuances. “It is very pleasant to plan this talk, we see it as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the University of Alaska Achorage, since we have similarities that we can combine as a real opportunity for a career in Journalism,” he stated.

In this way, the talk made it possible to learn about different communication strategies on this topic, and to accentuate the importance of solutions over pessimism when it comes to reporting.

alaska3The journalist from the University of Alaska emphasized the essential role that communicators have, and reinforced that it consists of continuous learning. “I think we are learning how to cover these events, we have had 25 or 30 years of news on the subject and many excellent cases, but in reality the coverage has been very focused on guilt and this is a problem without providing solutions, so I want to communicate the importance of providing people with solutions that are understandable and within reach,” he expressed.

The talk ended with a round of questions from those present and the presentation of a gift to the journalist Paola Banchero, by the Dean of the FACSE and the Director of the School of Journalism, which consisted of a publication on material didactic for teaching journalism, carried out by the former academic Mg. Marcela Poblete Ibaceta.

Written by Paula Godoy, ULS Journalist