MESHA Selected Nine Climate Media Fellows
The cohort will spend one year producing climate journalism focused on gender-responsive and intersectional issues.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Environmental
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Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) has selected nine media fellows from across Eastern and Southern Africa for a one-year climate change reporting program. The initiative is designed to strengthen science journalism through gender-responsive methodologies.
Why it matters
The program aims to address the scarcity of nuanced, intersectional reporting on climate adaptation by connecting journalists directly with gender experts and researchers. This effort seeks to influence public understanding of climate impacts on food security and horticulture.
Each fellow is tasked with completing two key projects over the course of the year. Participants receive support from a dedicated researcher, a gender expert, and a supporting editor to guide their work.
The players
Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture
A professional association that provides logistical support and mentorship to science journalists in Africa.
International Development Research Centre
A Canadian crown corporation that funds research and supports regional development offices, including their Eastern and Southern Africa office in Nairobi.
The details
The fellowship operates as part of the Action Research to Enhance Effective Coverage of Climate Change Issues in Africa project. MESHA facilitates logistical support and research mentorship, ensuring that fellows can conduct rigorous field reporting. For example, fellows from Botswana will focus on horticultural adaptation and food security, applying a gender-responsive lens to examine how climate change impacts local farming practices.
Timeline
2026: The fellowship cohort will implement their research and reporting activities throughout the year.
The Tech Race
This fellowship functions as a core component of the Action Research to Enhance Effective Coverage of Climate Change Issues in Africa project. It prioritizes the development of professional standards in climate journalism to compete with traditional news cycles that often lack intersectional depth.
Readers can expect to see climate-focused journalism featuring gender-responsive perspectives on horticultural adaptation appearing in regional outlets throughout 2026. These articles aim to provide greater clarity on how climate shifts directly impact food security.
The takeaway
The fellowship highlights an industry-wide pivot toward incorporating gender expertise into scientific reporting. Observers should track the publication of the fellows' two required projects to see how these collaborative research methods translate into shifts in regional climate coverage.
Further reading
For broader trends in climate-focused reporting, visit our Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mmegi Online.
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Should climate journalism prioritize the impact of environmental changes on specific vulnerable social groups?
