Climate Narrative Hub organised a media workshop in Bhopal on 31st July, 2025.
Why we chose Bhopal
The workshop was held in Bhopal because Central India, particularly Madhya Pradesh, is a hotspot for human–wildlife interactions. Last year, 46 tiger deaths were reported, the highest in India since Project Tiger began. The region’s overlapping habitats make it critical to increase and improve how such stories are told. Through workshops like this, we aim to encourage more sensitive reporting on conflict, ask questions that go beyond the immediate attack, reduce fear driven narratives, expand coverage beyond just megafauna, and ultimately foster more nuanced stories of coexistence.
The session brought together
• Wildlife specialist journalists who understand both ecological nuance and newsroom
pressures
• Civil society organizations that research and engage with wildlife and communities
• Forest-dwelling community members who live in close quarters with animals
• Bhopal-based journalists from print, TV, and digital media
Next Steps
Incorporating feedback from this and prior media and CSO interactions, the Hub is building a Human–Wildlife Interaction (HWI) Reporting Guide, a practical tool designed to support journalists in producing more balanced and contextual stories. This guide will be shared with journalists across regions and circulated with experts/ NGOs. The guide includes sections on approaching HWI stories, do’s and don’ts of language, how to source diverse voices, visual reporting guidelines, and tips for negotiating nuanced coverage with editors. It also offers insights on deepening biodiversity coverage, a case study analysis, and a curated list of resources (from where to find credible data to sources they can interview) to support continued learning.
Read more insights here
HWI Bhopal Workshop Report.pdf (404.0 KB)