Lookout360°

Video offers the most powerful way to tell engaging human stories for digital media. After speaking with 50+ journalists and scientists across the world, we discovered that newsrooms and science communities see the opportunities with telling climate change-related stories in a more innovative way. Yet while there is excitement around immersive videos, many journalists have simply not had the chance to experiment with the new formats. On the other side of spectrum, science communities are questioning how journalists report about the topic, especially how scientific expertise and evidences are used in storytelling.

Lookout360° is the pilot project of our new 6-month immersive storytelling accelerator programme. It combines in-field training and 3-month mentorship to support journalists produce immersive stories with a focus on climate change.

The European Forest Institute and the Global Editors Network are joining forces to launch the pilot project which supports journalists produce 360-degree videos on climate change and people’s lives.

A total of 10 journalists and producers from 10 media houses based in Europe and beyond will be invited to a bootcamp that offers a training on climate change storytelling, as well as a 101 crash course on 360° video filming and post-production. To offer a unique first-hand experience in producing a story focusing on how the local communities are being affected by climate change, the bootcamp will take place in the extreme north of Finland, where the Sami people, the indigenous communities in Lapland, live.

After the in-field bootcamp, the programme gathers scientists and 360-degree video experts to support the participants in developing, iterating and publishing a story within a 3-month period. The final projects will be showcased at the GEN Summit in Lisbon on 30 May – 1 June 2018, both on the conference main stage and in the GEN Dome, an immersive storytelling-focused exhibition.

Message from the President of the Sami Parliament of Finland

The Sami culture is very much tied to nature. Clean and healthy nature and environment are the very cornerstones of our culture. Climate change has brought impacts to our traditional yearly calendar of everyday activities. Being able to move in nature safely and use its offerings sustainably, are in the centre of our traditional knowledge and ways. When living in extreme weather conditions, this is very much a safety concern. Media have a crucial role in making the climate change related issues globally known – especially since every individual has the chance to influence our Mother Nature’s well-being and health.

Tiina Sanila-Aikio, President, The Sami Parliament of Finland

• You are a journalist or producer who has (near to) zero or little experience with 360-video storytelling
• You are committed to publish at least one 360-degree video before the GEN 2018 Summit
• You cover climate change-related topics, including human stories
• You are excited about immersive storytelling, but need support to get started
• You would be able to travel to Ivalo, Finland, on 1-2 February 2018
• You can travel on foot and are ready for the challenge of being in cold weather (down to -35°C!)
• You are able to cover local transport costs and expenses outside of the bootcamp days
• You are able to communicate well and follow the crash course in English
• Your newsroom editor/manager agrees to the above and can articulate how they will support

Questions? Contact Rina at rina.tsubaki@efi.int