Digital storytelling has the potential to influence climate policy and public engagement across Africa, Lead Convener of the TN Africa Digital Journalism Summit, Senanu Damilola Wemakor, has said.
Speaking at the TN Africa Digital Journalism Summit in Kenya, Wemakor urged journalists and content creators to leverage online platforms to shape conversations around climate change.
“When stories resonate online, they influence conversations, shape public opinion, and can even guide policy discussions,” he said.
The second edition of the summit, held in Kenya under the theme “Telling Africa’s Climate and Food Story in the Digital Age,” brought together media professionals, academics, and climate advocates to explore storytelling in the digital age.
This is a follow-up to the first edition that was held in Accra, Ghana October 2024.
Wemakor used the platform to launch the Story the Change initiative. “We want to put together in six months over a thousand content and online stories on climate change across the continent, and we want to reach at least 20 million people online,” he said.
He emphasized that digital creators are critical to achieving this goal.
“When you go online, you see creators with millions of followers. The question is, what are they using these numbers for? This same audience can be used to project the message of climate change,” he added.
Panel discussions featured Dr. Winnie Ndeta Otsiulah, Joyce Koech, Bonnke Museeve Mulaama, Miranda Gathecha, and Senanu Wemakor.
Organizers say the initiative will build a network of digital storytellers across Africa.
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