By Rania Itani
Last April, I had the opportunity to take part in a knowledgeXchange session, hosted by our partners at Syli, climateXchange. Led by Shereen Daver, Program Director, the session created an open, hands-on space for journalists, media innovators, and creators from across Europe to explore the pressing challenges of climate reporting and to reimagine a news narrative.
From reframing narratives to rethinking financial sustainability of news products and services, the session surfaced deep insights into the forces shaping climate journalism today. It also introduced a growing community of storytellers to new tools, frameworks and paradigms. The report from this session can be found here: Global Climate Journalism Insights Report Europe and Making Climate Pay Europe: Creating Climate Editorial for Sustainable Commercial Success.
But beyond reports and prototypes, what stood out most was a shared desire to approach climate journalism not only as a beat, but as a cultural practice. At the heart of this shift is a simple yet powerful idea: if we want people to care about climate, we need to meet them where they are. That means connecting through their daily rituals, languages, values, and lived experiences.
In this conversation, we speak with Shereen Daver about the philosophy behind climateXchange and why culture-centered news narratives are not just timely but essential. From the challenges facing newsrooms in Europe, Asia, and Africa to the power of cross-regional collaboration and locally driven innovation to how climate narratives rooted in relevance, creativity, and radical community can shape an impactful way forward.
Our Conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Shereen Daver Q&A
RFW: Why is the shift from crisis-focused reporting to culture-centered storytelling so important at this moment? And what does it mean to embed climate into the cultural narratives of our daily lives?
Shereen Daver: Crisis-driven climate messaging can be data-heavy and urgent, but is not always effective in mobilizing action. Moving away from “crisis” has been adopted by many progressive news organizations and thinkers from solutions based journalism, constructive approaches, and values based reporting to move the narrative along.
Another part of the framing is cultural relevance. Journalists often ask why people are avoiding the news. But what if the issue isn’t avoidance, but relevance? Young people are some of the most active members of society, but they consume information differently. So, we need to meet that need.
In addition, our research with the London School of Economics has shown that people with higher life satisfaction and strong political engagement relate more to science narratives. But those with lower life satisfaction and weak political engagement prefer culturally grounded climate stories. This proves we need multiple entry points to climate engagement, and culture is a powerful one. If we want people to care about climate, we need to embed it into their everyday cultural realities. Whether it’s food, art, language, or Indigenous stories, culture shapes how we relate to issues and influences behavior.
We believe that we need to convene all of these schools and methodologies together to really accelerate a new climate narrative in the media ecosystem.
RFW: The knowledgeXchange sessions have been a key pillar of this initiative. What makes them different from traditional training , and what are some standout outcomes that have emerged from this practice?
Shereen: The knowledgeXchange sessions are not trainings, they are pragmatic working experiences to foster local innovation and support. We bring together a mix of people, including journalists, editors, designers, producers,content creators, and diverse minds with use design thinking methodology to ground the process in empathy and audience-first approaches . It is all about understanding where people are, what they need, and how stories can meet them there.
Each region we have worked in, whether Africa, Asia, or Europe, brings its own nuance, but there are also shared challenges. These include news avoidance, the lack of localized climate language, limited newsroom resources, and editorial resistance. We ask participants to name these challenges and then co-create prototypes that offer possible solutions.
One of my favorite examples is Planet Plate, which came out of our Asia exchange. It is a podcast and video series about Indigenous food in Indonesia, focusing on ingredients that are disappearing due to climate change. It reached younger audiences in a beautiful and unexpected way, by connecting through culture rather than through crisis. That is the kind of impact we hope to continue building.
RFW: You’ve been working with journalists across different regions. What are some of the common challenges they face when it comes to climate reporting?
Shereen Daver: Across Africa, Asia, and Europe, we have seen four major challenges come up again and again. The first is news avoidance, which is often misunderstood. In many cases, it is not that people do not care, but that the way stories are framed does not feel relevant to their lives.
The second is language and cultural resonance. Climate terms do not always translate well or even exist in every language, which creates a gap in understanding and connection.
The third challenge is around newsroom resources. Many outlets do not have the capacity to assign a dedicated climate beat or to help reporters see how climate intersects with other areas they cover.
Finally, there is editorial prioritization and institutional resistance. What gets covered is often shaped by funding, internal structures, or legacy systems. Of course, every region brings its own nuance, so we always try to listen closely and adapt our support accordingly.
“It is not about ego. It is about creating impact together. When we listen deeply and build with intention, real change becomes possible.”
RFW: You have recently launched two reports highlighting your main takeaways from the knowledge exchange workshops in Europe. What stood out to you, and what advice would you give climate-focused reporters there?
Shereen Daver: What stood out in the Europe session is how policy-driven the climate conversation tends to be. There is a strong focus on regulation and political frameworks, which is important, but it can be difficult to translate that into stories that resonate with the public.
One of the ideas that came out of the workshop looked at how to bridge that gap by connecting policy narratives with everyday experiences. It is about moving from the technical to the emotional, and finding ways to help people see how these issues affect their lives.
For journalists in Europe who are facing this challenge, my advice is to look beyond the region. There is so much innovation happening in places where climate change is already a daily reality. In the Global South, communities are not only imagining solutions, they are already living them. Learning from these experiences and building cross-regional collaboration can open up powerful new directions for storytelling.
RFW: What’s next for climateXchange? What are you most excited about for the year ahead?
Shereen Daver: There are two things I am especially excited about. The first is cross-regional collaboration. We are working toward more integrated exchanges that allow ideas, tools, and experiences to move across regions in a meaningful way.
The second is innovation. The energy and creativity coming from our members is incredible. Supporting those ideas and watching them take shape is what keeps us going.
At the same time, we know we cannot do this alone. Real collaboration only works when it is grounded in honesty, shared values, and active listening. It is not about ego. It is about creating impact together. When we listen deeply and build with intention, real change becomes possible.