World population heading towards 9.8 billion by 2050
Photo credit: Associated Press, United Nations
FOR a number of years, I have been curious to know why there were no desks or beats, as they are tagged in journalism, I still doubt if there are in current times, created solely for population reporting.
An ardent reader of newspaper in Nigeria will be conversant with the fact that population stories are reported as one-off news information. Similarly, if the general populace were to report on population issues; it will be presented from diverse view points.
A major reason adduced to this by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is that: economic development, equity, human health, environmental stability and issues of poverty reduction are things that journalists want to report on, but often, population subjects are linked together in a complex web, making it a difficult task.
Hence, media managers too, are left in the lurch when it comes to carving out a unit for population reportage.
In the forecasts by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Population Division, the current world population of nearly 7.6 billion will increase to 8.6 billion by 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. Additionally, public policies, technological applications and cultural norms would contribute to compounding the confusion.
Salient issues important to all countries of the world are: pollution, human health, economic development, loss of natural resources, food production, risks to vulnerable groups -the poor, indigenous and women and several others.
Journalists need to understand the basics of successfully reporting on population, health and environment as well as the linkages between the demographic implications, consequences of health and environmental impacts for the overall good of humanity.
The complexity thus calls for journalists to specialise in population reporting so that they can untangle the complex web to enable them present captivating reports to their readers and audience as the case applies.
Salient
issues important to all countries of the world, according to the USAID, are:
·
Pollution,
human health
·
Economic
development
·
Loss
of natural resources
·
Food production
·
Risks to vulnerable groups
-the poor, indigenous and women and several others.
Journalists need to
understand the basics of successfully reporting on population, health and
environment as well as the linkages between the demographic implications,
consequences of health and environmental impacts for the overall good of
humanity.
There is a call to action.
All hands need to be on deck. Population matters isn't hard for the layman to understand. It is not hard for me, as a journalist to understand either. Here I am, responding to the call and I am taking action.
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By the way, my name is
Joke Kujenya (Ms.)
Editor, Population Journalism
Investigative Journalist, Social Media Enthusiast, Mentor, Trainer & Blogger
Media Mentors News AgencyPower Reporter of The Year, 2013
Staff of The Month, August 2013, The Nation
