current environment crises can be crystallised. that places journalists on the centre stage of danger and argues that: “Environmental and climate journalists shed light on corrupt practices and illegal activities linked to environmentally harmful businesses and disclose the vested interests that support polluting industries. They report on state authorities, who enable or tolerate these practices. And they expose those who sow disinformation and doubt about the science behind.” (15) The media who try to connect the dots between conflict, corruption and resource manipulation — often by international corporations and supported by individuals in the higher levels of government or the State itself — end up being intimidated, threatened, arrested or even forcibly disappeared. Nowhere is this more crystal clear as in Mozambique’s province of Cabo Delgado, where the turquoise waters that lap up against the tourist hotspot are home to sea turtles, dolphins and whales — off land — and elephants, lions, leopards and crocodiles — on land. The study’s key finding reinforced what is already being said and known: lAs a result of their crucial and sensitive work, journalists who cover environmental and climate stories face a range of serious threats and attacks. This is the province where ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Eni and their partners have come in to develop one of the biggest gas projects on the African continent. These include physical attacks; arrests and detention; legal harassment; online harassment and hate campaigns; restrictions on freedom of movement; and challenges accessing information. “For centuries, national elites and multinational corporations have been plundering the province’s abundant natural resources. Their greed for Cabo Delgado’s ruby, graphite, gold and timber has made it one of Mozambique’s poorest provinces. The people who live in Cabo Delgado have never seen any of this resource wealth. They live off farming and fishing. Many people have no access to health care, education or jobs.” (13) lCertain stories — which vary from region to region — are effectively off-limits for journalists due to the dangers associated with covering them. This censorship silences vital public-interest information and endangers the fight to protect the environment and address the climate crisis. Reporting on the project or the displacement of communities by the gas project, the cycle of floods and the violence by militant insurgencies is dangerous for the media. lWhile the level of risk faced by climate/ environmental journalists broadly correlates with the overall press freedom situation in the country or region in which they operate, they face additional risk factors: Powerful players that are linked to pollutive and environmentally harmful activities have enormous economic interests and strong political connections. Amnesty International has documented these grave threats on journalists reporting on Cabo Delgado — namely the temporary detention of Amade Abubacar in 2019, the enforced disappearance of Ibraimo Mbaruco in 2020, as well as the petrol bombing of the offices of the independent weekly newspaper Canal de Moçambique in August 2020. Environmental destruction often takes place in remote locations that are dangerous to access and where the rule of law is weak or non-existent. The online publication had published a story entitled: “The business of war in Cabo Delgado”, alleging the existence of an illegal secret contract between the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and natural gas companies in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. (14) Local journalists who investigate environmental crimes are especially vulnerable, including to attacks from members of their own community who are either involved in or benefit from illegal activities. So how do the media fare in these situations? Many environmental journalists are freelancers, thus not having the layers of protection offered by large news organisations. Research by the International Press Institute that looks at climate and environmental journalism highlights the three critical things All this comes back full circle to journalists themselves and their ability to report effectively and impactfully to tie up the issues so they intersect through all sectors. 17 STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2023