During a week-long programme at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) in Lisbon, students and professionals from Portugal, Greece, Kosovo and Albania came together to explore how data, maps and storytelling can help us better understand and communicate environmental and climate-related issues.

The GEOJO Summer School brought together 45 participants, including students, university professors, data scientists, communicators and data journalists. With different backgrounds and areas of expertise, participants shared a common challenge: how can we use geospatial data to tell stories that make complex environmental issues understandable and relevant to wider audiences?

Working in multidisciplinary groups, participants were challenged to create a data story focused on climate change or environmental issues, using geospatial data as the basis for their investigation. Throughout the week, they explored different types of geographic and environmental data, experimented with digital tools and developed new approaches to data analysis, visualisation and storytelling.

Learning from journalists working with data and geospatial technologies

An important part of the Summer School was the opportunity to hear directly from journalists and professionals working with data, geospatial technologies and environmental storytelling.

The programme included a session introduced by Tiago Sigorelho, President of Gerador, who presented two keynotes working at the intersection of journalism and environmental issues: Julian Peschel, geospatial analyst at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international public broadcaster, and Cátia Vilaça, journalist at Gerador.

Julian Peschel shared his professional journey and gave participants an insight into how he works with remote sensing and satellite data, and how this type of information can be transformed into evidence and stories for journalism. His presentation offered a practical perspective on the potential of geospatial technologies to support journalistic investigations and help reveal changes taking place on the ground.

The Summer School also welcomed Matteo Scannavini, Data Journalist at Dataninja, who explored the role of data in journalism and the process of turning datasets into meaningful journalistic stories. His contribution connected directly with the practical work developed by participants throughout the week, encouraging them to think critically about how data can be investigated, analysed and communicated.

Another highlight was the contribution of Laura Aragó, journalist at La Vanguardia, one of Spain’s leading daily newspapers. Laura worked on “RIP Mare Nostrum”, an environmental journalism story examining the impact of the climate crisis on the Mediterranean. Her work, recognised through several journalism awards, provided participants with a strong example of how environmental reporting can combine data, visual storytelling and journalism to communicate the effects of climate change.

Together, these sessions gave participants the opportunity to explore different ways in which remote sensing, geospatial data and data journalism can strengthen environmental reporting, while also highlighting the importance of journalistic judgement, verification and storytelling.

Following the keynote sessions and practical activities, participants worked in groups to develop their own data stories. They analysed geospatial information, experimented with different tools and approaches, and reflected on a shared challenge: how to turn complex information into stories that are clear, accurate, relevant and meaningful to wider audiences.

The multidisciplinary nature of the groups encouraged participants to combine different skills and perspectives. Maps and datasets became starting points for questions, investigations and narratives about climate change and environmental issues.

At the end of the Summer School, each group presented its work. The best data story, selected at the conclusion of the programme, will be published by Gerador in the coming months, giving the participants an opportunity to take their work beyond the classroom and reach a wider audience.

The Summer School reflects the core mission of GEOJO: to connect science, communication and education by promoting the integration of geojournalism into Higher Education.

By bringing together geospatial technologies, data journalism, environmental knowledge and storytelling, GEOJO aims to equip future journalists and communicators with the skills needed to investigate and communicate some of the most pressing challenges facing our societies.

The GEOJO project is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Follow GEOJO on LinkedIn and Substack for highlights from the Summer School, updates on the projects developed by the teams and the publication of the winning data story.

You can also view the NOVA IMS LinkedIn post about the initiative.