This is where you find all of Macaranga‘s podcasts with BFM89.9 Radio, as well as details on our training and mentorship, talks and everything else. [Feature pic by Freepik]
Workshop on reporting better on biodiversity
10 February, 2025: The start of February saw us conduct 2 sessions for Asian Dispatch’s media training on reporting on climate and biodiversity.
They were respectively on ‘How to better report on biodiversity’ and ‘Covering wildlife trade’, for the collective’s 34 member participants from around Asia. The other trainer was veteran editor Sahana Ghosh from India, who covered ‘Navigating Scientific Literature’.
Macaranga is a member of the collective, and the training was part of their Biodiversity Media Initiative grant from Internews Earth Journalism Network, of which Macaranga is also a recipient.
[Podcast] Macaranga Monthly Wrap-up January 2025
28 January, 2025: n January, we saw the horrifying eroded coast of Bukit Rakit in Terengganu, caused by large waves.
But large waves also break up coral reefs, which when healthy, actually help absorb wave energy. But Malaysia’s reefs can’t do their job properly because of coral bleaching, also caused by warmer temperatures.
We discuss this in our first Macaranga Monthly Wrap-up of environmental news in 2025 on BFM89.9 Radio.
We round up the wrap-up with good news: executive summaries of Environmental Impact Assessments are now more accessible.
Changemakers in Penang get media training
28 January, 2025: We teamed up with Ruang Kongsi to share our experiences on environmental reporting with a group of passionate changemakers in Penang. Participants developed their own story ideas; learned how to turn data into impactful, real-world stories; and navigated digital tools like satellite imagery to uncover facts.
Here’s feedback from a participant: “While there are plenty of free tools and lessons available online, learning from an experienced journalist made everything so much clearer and saved me from a lot of trial and error.
“Plus, seeing how these tools are applied through existing Macaranga articles and gaining insight on the thought process behind them was very helpful for a beginner like me.”
Huge thanks to the International Federation of Journalists for funding The Digital Tools for Environmental Reporting in Penang workshop.
[Podcast] Petting zoos: conservation or exploitation
28 January, 2025: Petting wildlife has become so popular, it is alarming conservationists and animal welfare activists. We discuss how petting zoos are trying to enable increasingly difficult-to-find encounters with wildlife; concerns about the welfare of both animals and humans during interactions; and much more.
Writer Lee Kwai Han and editor Wong Siew Lyn have a spirited discussion with BFM89.9 Radio producer Juliet Jacobs.
