Pune – a growing industrial, IT and service city in Maharashtra state – was the venue for the first cycle of training. A one-day seminar brought environmental activists together in the same room with a large number of local journalists who are keen to report on environmental issues.

It is to be hoped and expected that the result will be more, and improved, coverage of these issues in print and on TV.

Prior to the seminar, several environment NGOs gathered to learn more about communicating effectively with the media. Representatives came from Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group, BAIF Development Research Foundation, the Watershed Organisation Trust, the Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) and the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI).

These groups were then able to make short but effective presentations about their work to all those gathered at the seminar – including government representatives and academics as well as journalists from TV and newspapers.

Vithal Mavin Kurve, a former senior assistant editor of the Times of India, gave his views on how media coverage of the environment might be improved and initiated a very lively debate.

This theme was picked up in great detail by twelve of the journalists who stayed on to take part in a workshop on environmental journalism. By the end of the workshop, the participants had created a long list of story ideas.

Following the workshop, a experienced TV producer and environment specialist from the UK worked with the TV reporters to make short films, while an experienced newspaper editor helped the print journalists to develop environment campaigns in their newspapers.