Project Maai

The Wits Centre for Journalism is a proud research contributor to Project Maai, a newly launched initiative from our partners at climateXchange that aims to address a critical gap in climate change media. Maai will be a quantitative and qualitative based tool that will be a thinking partner for journalists to optimise and develop climate narratives that create impact.

The project seeks to reshape how the media addresses climate change by improving the reach, resonance, and effectiveness of climate news. The project is divided into two key phases: Phase 1 (November 2024 – March 2025) is dedicated to Research & Insight collection and analysis. Phase 2 is designed to build on the Phase 1 findings to create a comprehensive solution for enhancing climate reporting.

Phase 1: Research & Insight

The first phase of the initiative focuses on the gathering and analysing of data related to climate reporting. Researchers aim to determine key factors of impactful climate coverage. Specifically, the research seeks to answer how climate news can move beyond mere information dissemination to actually spark behavioural change and impact in the short-, medium-, and long-term.

The research will involve a diverse dataset of climate-related content from various media sources, including print, online, broadcast, and digital-native platforms. This global dataset will focus on several key variables, such as geographical regions, language diversity, and media types. The research is designed to explore how climate coverage influences sentiments and narratives across cultures and regions. The researchers will also analyse historical data, comparing pre-digital and post-digital climate reporting to track how the language, imagery and framing of climate topics have evolved over time.

By the end of Phase 1, the team will produce a comprehensive report that introduces the characteristics of impactful climate reporting, as informed by the research findings. This will include defining key impact success factors (ISFs), such as the reach, engagement, and cultural relevance of climate stories, which will inform the development of the Maai platform (Phase 2).

The research team is led by Henri-Count Evans (PhD), with contributors Samuel Olaniran (PhD), Temalangeni Minenhle Dlamini, Lucky Nhlanhla Sithole, Johnson Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, Sobantu Dlamini, and Carmen Nicoara (PhD).

Supporting a Climate Media Ecosystem Reframe

In addition to its functionality, Project Maai aims to drive an industry-wide shift in how climate issues are communicated. By collaborating with a diverse group of thinkers from data scientists, machine learners, AI leaders, through to journalists and newsrooms, the project seeks to build a global network of climate reporters who can leverage the platform to improve coverage across regions, including Africa, Asia and Europe. The project will also address ethical considerations in climate reporting, ensuring that the AI-driven tool adheres to high standards of journalistic integrity and fosters responsible climate narratives.

Overall, the initiative seeks to innovate an expansive media ecosystem that is equipped to tackle the climate crisis by providing tools for effective, data-driven climate journalism. By using AI and data science to improve climate reporting, Maai aims to amplify the impact of media coverage, ensuring that it resonates with diverse audiences and drives actionable change. Ultimately, this initiative will contribute to building a more informed, engaged, and empowered public capable of responding to the climate emergency.

For media enquiries and more information on the project, please contact the Maai Lead, Shereen Daver, through Shereen@Syli.org.uk.