Recent reports from a variety of institutions, including the World Economic Forum, say the world is currently facing two challenges, both of which can be considered extremely urgent for humanity.

One is disinformation, when false images and deliberately inaccurate information, often known as fake news, are deployed to undermine democracy and deepen social divisions. The other is climate change, which is devastating the environment and will eventually see parts of the planet become uninhabitable. The former is mostly considered a short-term problem, the latter a long-term one.

Answers to this question were discussed at several sessions of DW's annual Global Media Forum (GMF) held this week in the western German city of Bonn.

Disinformation about climate change is a huge problem, said Isabelle Schläpfer, research manager at the US-funded media development organization Internews. In early June, her organization published a report on journalism and climate change, Covering the Planet, which surveyed over 700 journalists.

"Over 45% of journalists say [disinformation] has increased, mostly due to social media," Schläpfer told DW on the sidelines of the Global Media Forum. "It distorts the conversation about climate change. It takes attention away from what matters and what it means for ordinary people's lives."

Experts widely agreethat climate change must be countered by government policies. But in order to effectively put them into action, it is important that citizens and voters buy into them. This........

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