Expert: Media's role in the climate crisis is crucial

A leading Protestant theologian urged Catholic communicators to report extensively on the climate crisis.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Cynthia Moe Lobeda, talked about how important it is for the media to communicate effectively with people during the climate crisis in the presentation of the sixth SIGNIS World Congress 2022, Seoul, South Korea, on August 18.

Lobeda is a Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary of California Lutheran University, and Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She is a co-founder and director of the Climate Justice and Faith Center.

She was speaking on the protection of the environment.

"Communications and media experts, with your skills and knowledge, will have a key role to play," she said.

"You are blessed. You have invaluable tools, skills, and knowledge. You are excellent communicators. What is communicated publicly and how effectively communicated will determine life and death issues for humankind and all God's creation now and for centuries to come," said Lobeda.

In tackling the climate crisis, Lobeda cited Pope Francis’ ecological conversion on three levels, namely, Individuals, larger social systems, such as government and economic institutions; and spirituality are all part of the consciousness worldview.

She reiterated, "At each level, the media can play a vital role in dealing with the ecological crisis."

For the individual and household, the speaker encouraged that the media can "elevate and make visible the businesses committed to carbon neutrality and justice for workers so that it will inspire others."

Lobeda suggested that for the second level, the media can highlight public policy initiatives that are curbing emissions, saving forests, limiting extractive industries, protecting water in the air, and the practice of shipping toxic waste, plastics, and garbage from wealthy nations to impoverished ones.

She said of the worldview, "The media can help to cultivate that change in consciousness that changes culture."

The speaker highlighted that "truth-telling" as "daring to face the truth about the truth behind consuming parts of humankind's climate change." 

She invited the media to tell "the truth about painful injustices and constant suffering for so many people."

The purpose of the human being is to be an appliance in societies that love their neighbors by seeking justice, peace, and the earth's well-being.

The other four speakers, Raekwon Chung, Recipient of Personal Copy of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and Former Climate Change Ambassador of Korea, Solange Didiego, journalist and producer, member of Signis Argentina, Kike Delgado, Creative Consultant, Founder and Director of TMB LAB, and Junkyeon Choe, podcast producer, member of "Friends of Beluga’, Ecological Apostolate of the Korean Catholic Church, presented points on how to take care of our common home—the earth.

From August 16 to 19, the sixth SIGNIS World Congress 2022 took place at the Jesuit-run Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. The theme was "Peace in the Digital World."

SIGNIS is a global body of the Catholic lay movement for professionals in the communication media.