ecojournalism.org is a project by j-hub.cc, run by a Nigerian editorial team of environmental journalists.

Initiated in 2011, j-hub is an international partnership between the Goethe Institute (Lagos, Nigeria), xm:lab (Saarbruecken, Germany), Sourcefabric (Prague, Czech Republic), and Pixelchiefs (Berlin, Germany). It works with journalists and media activists across the world to develop journalism projects for the world of real-time media.

j-hub.cc workshops are based on a peer-to-peer education model. Local and international facilitators engage participants in training activities that cover the entire journalistic workflow. The ‘cc - common content’ refers to the Creative Commons license used for all content published on the site, chosen because open licenses with pre-defined user rights facilitate sharing and support freedom of information.

ecojournalism.org was launched following a j-hub.cc workshop on environmental journalism in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Vitally important eco-journalism in Nigeria has not yet taken full advantage of the power of online media,” says Tunde Akingbade, one of Nigeria’s leading environmental journalists. “ecojournalism.org will radically transform the way Nigerian journalists research, publish news and gain global impact for their work.”

ecojournalism.org will provide a online platform for eco-journalism in Nigeria, and extend the reach and amplification of Nigerian eco-journalists and their work.

The new website ecojournalism.org is the world’s first site to be powered by the state-of-the-art, open source publishing platform Newscoop 4. Developed by j-hub partner Sourcefabric, the site will publish articles and resources on Nigerian environmental issues.

j-hub.cc-workshops are based on a peer-to-peer education model. Local and international facilitators engage participants in training activities that cover the entire journalistic workflow. The next workshop will focus on data journalism.

Following workshop discussions with Nigerian journalism educators, environmental activists, and government officials, j-hub.cc will work to:

• Provide on-the-job training on environmental issues and the use of social media to improve coverage and amplify coverage
• Bridge the gap between environmental and media organizations
• Involve journalists in policy debates relating to environmental and media issues, especially those relating to open data and transparency

“Eco-journalism is not just about reporting on nature, but is a holistic way of looking at urgent economic, social and political issues.” says Michael Ilesanmi, freelance journalist and ecojournalism.org editor. “ecojournalism.org will bring about real change in how individuals, public and private institutions, and corporations address environmental issues.”