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14. Mai 2024
WOLFGANG BLAU
Co-Founder, Oxford Climate Journalism Network
Welcome Heinz Faßmann | President, Austrian Academy of Sciences Introduction and
Moderation Daniela Kraus | Secretary-General, Presseclub Concordia
The climate crisis is likely to become journalism‘s greatest challenge, and opportunity. In his lecture, Wolfgang Blau will explore how news organisations around the world are searching for ways of covering the climate crisis that engage their audiences rather than demoralise or overwhelm them. Some pioneering news organisations try to achieve this by integrating climate journalism into all areas of their reporting, including in their sports, culture, health, or lifestyle journalism, fostering a deeper understanding of the crisis‘ impact on all aspects of human life. In his lecture, Wolfgang Blau will illustrate how this expansion of climate reporting into all areas of journalism is a positive first step. He will then discuss whether this new approach is sufficient, or if more profound changes in journalistic theory and practice are needed to address the urgency and transformative challenge of climate change.
After Wolfgang Blau‘s keynote, Anita Malli (ORF) and Gerold Riedmann (DER STANDARD) will each give a short statement and then enter into a joint conversation, followed by an audience Q&A. The keynote will be held in English, the following discussion will be in German.
Wolfgang Blau is the Co-Founder of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network and an expert in climate communication. He is the Global Managing Partner of the Brunswick Group‘s Climate Hub and ESG practice group, with offices in 27 cities worldwide. Prior to focusing on the climate strategies of some of the world‘s largest corporations, educational institutions, and NGOs, Blau was the President International and Global Chief Operating Officer of Condé Nast with responsibility for the group‘s national publishing companies and joint ventures across China, Japan, India, Europe, Mexico and Brazil, including brands such as WIRED, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. Before that, Blau was responsible for The Guardian‘s digital strategy in the UK, US, and Australia and served for five years as Editor-in-Chief of Germany‘s ZEIT ONLINE, during which he was the first digital editor to be chosen for Germany‘s ‚Chief Editor of the Year‘ award. Blau started his journalistic career as a news anchor for Germany‘s ARD broadcasting network and then spent seven years as a technology and media reporter in California before he returned to Germany. He is an advisor to the UN Climate Division UNFCCC, and a trustee director of Internews.org and the Bonn Institute for Constructive Journalism. Currently, he is also visiting fellow of the University of Pennsylvania‘s Perry World House on questions of climate communication and climate finance. In 2020, Blau decided to dedicate his career entirely to the climate question. He lives with his family in London.
This named lecture, which is organised in joint cooperation by the Austrian Presseclub Concordia and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), is the first of its kind. It is held in honor of Hugo Portisch, who was one of Austria‘s most significant journalists. This event is part of the “Academy Lectures”, a series of named lectures by internationally renowned researchers that started in 2019. With these, the academy wants to inspire the interested public for the latest research findings and raise awareness of current scientific and societal challenges.
Please register at:
www.oeaw.ac.at/anmeldung/akademievorlesungen
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften - FestsaalDr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2, 1010 Wien
CONTACT: Andrea Windegger, OeAW,