UNDP Media Fellowships Combat Disinformation During Crises

April 28, 2025

A group of people in a workshop setting, engaged in discussion and holding papers.

As climate disasters intensify and inequalities persist, the role of responsible journalism has never been more critical.

The need for accurate, inclusive, and evidence-based reporting is essential to counter the rapid rise of disinformation, uncover interconnected challenges facing societies, and to inspire people to meaningful action.

While Thailand’s fast-paced news cycle keeps the public informed in the moment, it sometimes misses the opportunity to make the connection between key issues. This allows for the spread of disinformation and misinformation.

To counter that cycle of disinformation and to transform how journalists work, UNDP in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University, the Thai Media Fund, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and the Thai Journalists Association, launched the Media Fellowship Programme on Sustainable Development.

Group photo of UNDP participants in a modern indoor setting with a blue banner.

A line of people stands in a library, bookshelves filled with books in the background.

A group discusses at a table, with one man animatedly sharing ideas with four others.

Two women engaged in a focused conversation, with a group observing in a meeting room.

A speaker in a white hoodie addresses an engaged audience in a meeting room.

A group of women collaborating around a table, discussing materials and documents.

So far, the initiative has worked with over 70 media professionals across Thailand, with the aim of integrating sustainable development perspectives into mainstream reporting. The programme helps participants explore how global challenges—climate change, gender inequality, and digital inclusion— manifest locally. For instance, journalists looked at how climate change impacts people with disabilities and examined how biodiversity policies could be more gender responsive.

By using the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework – and consulting with scientists, policy planners and practitioners – participants connected isolated events to systemic issues that uncovered root causes and highlighted solutions. And by accessing reliable data, they improved the accuracy of their stories.

Group of four young people holding colorful boxes, smiling, in front of a projection screen. — Journalists participated in UNDP Media Fellowship on Sustainable Development

This platform empowers media professionals to produce impactful and well-informed stories that combat disinformation. The programme’s impact was evident during the devastating floods in Thailand’s north and south, in 2024. Traditionally, media coverage focused only on immediate impacts—property damage and casualties. This time, journalists trained in the fellowship analyzed the broader patterns of climate change, highlighting long-term implications for marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, and the need for inclusive government support. Stories published on the platform have collectively reached 33.7 million users on Facebook users.

This year, Chulalongkorn University is integrating the fellowship’s curriculum into its academic programme, and the Thai Media Fund is incorporating the curriculum into their vocational training. The curriculum is also being adapted for other universities across Thailand.

UNDP’s Media Fellowship on Sustainable Development, was funded by Core Resources to the tune of US $ 5000. So far, it has leveraged approximately over US $62,000 from donors and partners including the Government of Australia, the Government of Germany, the Government of Ireland, the Government of Japan, the Government of Qatar, the European Union, and the Green Climate Fund.