A love letter

A love letter

BEADIE FINZI

This is a love note but it is also a rocket.

One written to funders, to commissioners, to curators, publishers.

Here are some things we know today:

The worlds largest ever survey of public opinion on Climate Change undertaken by UNDP showed that Sixty-four percent of people believe climate change is a global emergency. That the majority of people are calling for wide-ranging action.

We know that filmmakers and storytellers around the world are responding to the changing conditions they are experiencing in their own territories.

At Doc Society we have run a dedicated climate fund over the last 4 years and received over 1600 applications for non-fiction stories from over 100 countries.

Why is this important?

Because it turns out that non-fiction is one of the most influential sources of information about climate change.

In June 2022, Reuters Institute and University of Oxford published a paper evidencing that more people say they pay attention to documentaries than to major news organisations for information about this topic.

Documentaries are twice as influential as celebrities and activists on social media and three times more influential than politicians and political parties.

This is the case across all markets in the aggregate, as well as across age groups.

So we know that publics are really worried.

We know that the storytelling we need is out there.

We know these narratives are more trusted than any other form of media.

And yet.

The film and television industry, the national film funds, the public service broadcasters and corporate streamers are not taking sufficient responsibility or meaningful action.

Yes we’ve seen folks signing climate pledges, showing up at the COP conferences. Using the ‘greening’ of the physical process of production as a fig leaf to prove their climate credentials - whilst not actually prioritizing content on screen.

We know personally and anecdotally from our storytellers that really really good projects are being turned down. ‘It’s a little ‘politically sensitive right now’ -  ‘we don’t think this will rate’ - ‘we did one or two of these last year’.

I am sorry but this is not acceptable.

We gatekeepers have to work a little harder.

If the stories aren’t strong enough - then we work harder with the creatives.

If there is reluctance amongst our colleagues, amongst the schedulers or channel controllers - well let's be much more persistent.

Is this really worth fighting for? Making trouble for yourself? Yes.

It is actually an emergency.

By the way - all our governments signed up and have a formal duty – embedded in article 6 of the UNFCCC – to educate their citizens on climate change, involve them in policymaking and ensure they have all the necessary information.

Are we - as some of the custodians of public interest media in our respective countries - are we doing our part? Are we doing enough? I don’t think so.

Friends - we have ceded the public square to the oil and gas industry.

So while we can’t find the slots, they are spending around a billion dollars a year messaging mis-info and delaying tactics - it's no wonder that citizens are confused and worried.

Climate is being actively weaponised by special interest groups and populists here in Europe. It is the one issue - the data scientists tell us - that can galvenize young and progressive voters to actually come out and cast their votes and stop what could be a devastating swing to the extreme right in the upcoming European elections. So what are we waiting for?

We can decide that from this day forward - we are going to prioritise, to insist on more climate storytelling inside each of our organisations. And there are so many ways to do this - in so many forms and genres. Waves of beautiful, creative, journalistic, poetic, romantic, comedic storytelling about the climate.

Because we in the media industry actually have a critical role to play in how the transition to net zero will go.

No we are not engineers, we are not scientists. We are not campaigners or activists. But we influence the culture, we shape imaginations, we populate the information ecosphere. We educate and inform and inspire.

What we prioritise now - will help determine whether the transition is a peaceful and productive one. Or whether it is one mired in suspicion and fear and even violence.

The choice is still ours.

With love and respect - it is time to show more creative leadership and more political courage.

Lets do this together.

Come and join a coalition of allies - creatives and funders and festivals and platforms-  who are committed to a climate just future.