Local Voices, Global Impact: The Rise of Grounded Climate Journalism
India-based Ground Report is changing the game for climate journalism by focusing on stories from rural and Indigenous communities. This kind of storytelling doesn’t just inform—it empowers.
Why it matters: Local stories offer nuance, proximity, and solutions rooted in lived experience. They counteract the doom-scroll by highlighting resilience and action. Supporting this type of media helps shift power and center justice in the climate movement.
Globally, rural and Indigenous communities are often on the frontlines of climate change while being the least responsible for it. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), traditional ecological knowledge is critical for adaptation and resilience strategies. Grounded journalism rooted in these communities surfaces perspectives that are often ignored by mainstream outlets—yet they carry immense wisdom and insight.
Investing in these stories also addresses a long-standing imbalance in media funding and access. When the bulk of coverage comes from global North institutions, the lens often misses local nuance and cultural truth. Ground Report’s model not only democratizes who gets to tell the story but reminds us that solutions must come from those most impacted.
What you can do:
Invest in media partners who prioritize local and community-led reporting.
Amplify stories from underrepresented regions in your own channels.
Collaborate with grassroots orgs to co-create media that reflects their realities.
