{"id":902330,"date":"2026-04-29T04:25:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/29\/juliette-chapalain-on-building-networks-and-nurturing-talent-to-tell-africas-environmental-stories\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T04:25:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:25:54","slug":"juliette-chapalain-on-building-networks-and-nurturing-talent-to-tell-africas-environmental-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/29\/juliette-chapalain-on-building-networks-and-nurturing-talent-to-tell-africas-environmental-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Juliette Chapalain on building networks and nurturing talent to tell Africa\u2019s environmental stories"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<article id=\"post-316000\">\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Juliette Chapalain is Mongabay Africa\u2019s multimedia and fellowship editor, leading the bureau\u2019s video, podcast and fellowship initiatives.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>She has more than a decade of experience across French and international media, including TV5 Monde, Arte and BBC News.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Through Mongabay\u2019s fellowship program, she mentors and trains African environmental journalists, helping build a diverse network of storytellers driving impact across the continent.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>This interview is part of Inside Mongabay, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our global newsroom.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2023, Mongabay expanded its coverage of environmental news in Africa by launching a new bureau, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/11\/mongabay-launches-africa-news-bureau\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Mongabay Africa<\/a>, to address news for the continent multilingually, beginning with French and English. This expansion identified a need for multimedia journalists with real-world experience on the continent in its main languages in priority areas.<\/p>\n<p>Having carved out a journalism career spanning more than a decade with a focus on African economic, social and environmental issues, which included stints in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Togo, for Juliette Chapalain, the opportunity to join Mongabay as fellowship and multimedia editor made perfect sense. Throughout her years, she gained versatile experience as a reporter, writer, videojournalist, producer, and director with notable French-language media outlets such as TV5 Monde, Arte, France 2, TF1, Mediapart and Lib\u00e9ration, and later at BBC News in London.<\/p>\n<p>Now, Chapalain splits her time between leading the Africa bureau\u2019s multimedia team and guiding environmental journalists through the <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/opportunity\/bourses-mongabay-afrique-pour-le-journalisme-environnemental\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">French-language fellowship program<\/a>. \u201cWhat I love about my work is that it\u2019s editorial, creative, and also very entrepreneurial at the same time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316003\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/03\/19190052\/PHOTO-2-with-the-fellows-2nd-favorite-real-life.jpeg\" alt=\"Chapalain (top row, second left) with the third cohort, \"Plumes vertes de l'espoir,\" of the African French-language fellowship program, during an online workshop in 2025. Image courtesy of Juliette Chapalain.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1124\"  ><figcaption>Chapalain (top row, second left) with the third cohort, \u201cPlumes vertes de l\u2019espoir,\u201d of the African <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/opportunity\/bourses-mongabay-afrique-pour-le-journalisme-environnemental\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">French-language fellowship program<\/a>, during an online workshop in 2025. Image courtesy of Juliette Chapalain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Through the fellowship, Chapalain also works to build a global network of highly skilled journalists focused on finding impactful stories. She has learned several lessons that she transmits to the fellows under her care: \u201cBuild and expand a trustful network of solid and diverse sources and colleagues, and protect and cultivate that network. Always.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Chapalain, journalism is not just about storytelling, but about raising awareness of environmental issues and driving greater impact for nature in Africa. \u201cThe African continent has the largest terrestrial carbon sink in the world, ahead of the Amazon,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat is happening there is fundamental for a sustainable ecological future on the global stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What follows is a conversation with Chapalain about her career at Mongabay, including the stories she\u2019s proudest of, and the balancing act of leading a multimedia team and instructing future generations of journalists in Africa. This interview is part of <b>Inside Mongabay<\/b>, a series that spotlights the people who bring environmental and conservation stories to life across our global newsroom.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>An interview with Juliette Chapalain<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><b>Mongabay: What inspired your interest in the work you do for Mongabay?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> My work for Mongabay is inspired by the will to give a face and a voice to the environment with impactful stories, such as a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/video\/2024\/12\/behind-the-safari\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">video on park rangers enforcing deadly violence in Uganda\u2019s Queen Elizabeth National Park<\/a> with our staff features writer <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/person\/ashoka-mukpo\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Ashoka Mukpo<\/a>, or another <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/video\/2024\/11\/drc-mines-might-be-poisoning-pregnant-women\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">on how mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo might be poisoning pregnant women<\/a>, by staff writer for Central Africa <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/person\/didier-makal\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Didier Makal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mongabay deals with both solutions journalism and investigative stories, short and long formats. We work on the frontline and give a voice to those who are most severely affected by climate disasters, but that\u2019s not all! The environment theme covers conservation of oceans, wildlife and forest, land degradation, food systems and beyond! This means endless possibilities to inform and make an impact by adapting the format to the subject matter, which is deeply interesting for a journalist.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316005\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/03\/19190318\/PHOTO-1-my-favorite-1.jpg\" alt=\"Chapalain during a journalism workshop at the Association for Tropical Biology Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2024. Image by Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo\/Mongabay.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\"  ><figcaption>Chapalain during a journalism workshop at the Association for Tropical Biology Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2024. Image by Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Mongabay: What do you most enjoy about your work?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> What I love about my work as multimedia and fellowship editor at Mongabay is that it\u2019s editorial, creative, and also very entrepreneurial at the same time. In less than two years with a lot of room for maneuver, I had the opportunity to design, build, launch and lead a multimedia team, our video content on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@MongabayAfrique\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Mongabay Afrique YouTube channel<\/a>, a French-language podcast called <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL4neW8AWFPHRRmEVLiH4w7FJTvxzxx_gT&#038;si=Sf2NeVjdRPC1qz4o\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Plan\u00e8te Mongabay<\/a> (presented by our audio and video producer <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/person\/jahena-louisin-2\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Jah\u00ebna Louisin<\/a> available on all listening platforms), <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/opportunity\/bourses-mongabay-afrique-pour-le-journalisme-environnemental\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">a fellowship program for prospective African environmental journalists<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/impact\/mongabay-fellowship-strengthens-african-environmental-journalism\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">24 trained journalists<\/a> at this stage who are now part of our network.<\/p>\n<p>I have also been invited to lead training sessions and moderate panels at international conferences in order to give <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/impact\/mongabays-spotlight-on-eco-charcoal-project-boosts-interest-and-funding-that-fights-deforestation-in-cameroon\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">direct visibility<\/a> to these projects and expand our network of contributing journalists. We achieve all of this work collaboratively and remotely, which is challenging, but since it\u2019s both concrete and rewarding, it feels meaningful to wake up every day and get to work.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, what I really enjoy is that we achieve this work within an international team, where we are journalists and professionals from all over the planet, managing to work together and guided by the same desire to learn and transmit knowledge on life-changing topics.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316006\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/03\/19190428\/REAL-EVERYDAY-LIFE-so-I-like-this-one-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Chapalain at a co-working space during her working hours for Mongabay. Image courtesy of Sabrina Nehmar.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2084\"  ><figcaption>Chapalain at a co-working space during her working hours for Mongabay. Image courtesy of Sabrina Nehmar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Mongabay: What are the three most important editorial guidelines and values of journalism to you?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> Trust: Providing independent, impartial and truthful news. Accountability: Delivering impactful work of the highest quality. Diversity: Reflecting the variety of cultures and alternative viewpoints to raise awareness to the largest audience.<\/p>\n<p><b>Mongabay: How does the region you work on shape the way you report on environmental issues?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> The African continent has the largest terrestrial carbon sink in the world, ahead of the Amazon, as well as rich fauna, flora and mineral reserves under tensions. The communities that live there have inspiring lifestyles, yet they are suffering and fighting against the effects of climate change. Covering these environmental issues and training teams there makes me realize a little more each day how fundamental what is happening there is for a sustainable ecological future on the global stage.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316008\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/03\/19190519\/Presenting-at-NEWF.jpeg\" alt=\"Chapalain presenting alongside video managing editor Luc\u00eda Torres during a workshop at the Nature, Environment, Wildlife, Filmmaking Conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2025. Image courtesy of Samuel Gichuru.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\"  ><figcaption>Chapalain presenting alongside video managing editor Luc\u00eda Torres during a workshop at the Nature, Environment, Wildlife, Filmmaking Conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2025. Image courtesy of Samuel Gichuru.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Mongabay: What is one of your favorite stories you\u2019ve edited for Mongabay, and why?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> The favorite story I led for Mongabay was a video investigation from staff writer for Central Africa <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.org\/person\/elodie-toto\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Elodie Toto<\/a> about \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/video\/2025\/02\/investigating-the-real-price-of-congos-gold\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Investigating the real price of Congo\u2019s gold<\/a>,\u201d in partnership with the Pulitzer Center\u2019s Rainforest Investigations Network.<\/p>\n<p>It was produced in the Republic of Congo, the third-largest country in the Congo Basin. We discovered that at least 79 mining permits for gold exploration or exploitation have been issued in the Sangha region since 2020, in a zone where a World Bank-funded project works to reduce deforestation and integrate the carbon credit market. The lucrative gold industry also causes pollution and contributes to deforestation \u2014 a source of conflict with the Republic of Congo\u2019s green dream.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an impactful story that reflects a situation that is more common than we think: a protected area at risk for economic reasons involving mineral resources and exploitation by another country.<\/p>\n<p><b>Mongabay: What are three interesting takeaways from this story?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> First, what we discovered during that investigation is that the protected forest areas on paper and by law, which are crucial planet carbon sinks in the Congo Basin and the world, were at risk for economic reasons. Second, we realized that local NGOs and Indigenous peoples and local communities are suffering from this situation and are on the frontline to fight this, with little echo. So our work was crucial to highlight their voices. And lastly, we realized that those economic deals are very political and that this situation can be stopped if it\u2019s highlighted.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316009\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/03\/19190613\/Kigali-with-the-best-colleagues-ever-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Chapalain (right) with Mongabay colleagues (from left) staff writer Elodie Toto, senior marketing associate Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo and staff features writer Ashoka Mukpo, during a field trip to Akagera National Park, Rwanda. Image courtesy of Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo.\" width=\"1928\" height=\"2560\"  ><figcaption>Chapalain (right) with Mongabay colleagues (from left) staff writer Elodie Toto, senior marketing associate Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo and staff features writer Ashoka Mukpo, during a field trip to Akagera National Park, Rwanda. Image courtesy of Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Mongabay: Do you have a behind-the-scenes moment that stands out from working on this story?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> It was super interesting to dig with our journalist Elodie Toto on the background of the owners of the company who actually benefited from the gold mining permits. As a journalist and editor with international editorial standards, you can only deliver what you can independently verify from more than two sources. For legal reasons, for instance, and mainly to protect our contributors working in the area we cover. That\u2019s the way we can keep working without jeopardizing both our newsroom and network in the long term. Therefore, we are 100% sure about what we tell in this story, even if we have to be careful with the wording and use a lot more conditional tenses than what we actually would like to do. So \u2026 there is more to tell \u2026! Those permits are open data and anyone could actually have a look and do an online search!<\/p>\n<p><b>Mongabay: What advice would you give to someone following your footsteps?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Juliette Chapalain:<\/b> The advice I would give to a starter journalist is to go to the field, listen to everyone, not only the main official sources that first emerge. I would strongly advise to build and expand a trusted network of solid and diverse sources and colleagues \u2014 and protect and cultivate that network always.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, doubt is key! Always question information that comes too easily to you (what are the motivations behind it?), question others and yourself as well. Your intuition and sense of spotting stories will also emerge with time, learn to also listen to it and give it a try with an open mind. Follow it while protecting yourself, you might discover nothing relevant \u2026 or <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/video\/2024\/11\/drc-mines-might-be-poisoning-pregnant-women\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">even more than what you think!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Also, be flexible in the field and always be prepared with a plan B (or C, D, E\u2026 ). Plan A never works and that\u2019s OK. Try not to complain about it, and instead be solutions-oriented to contribute to maintaining a good work atmosphere despite true challenges.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><em>Chapalain during a workshop at the Nature, Environment, Wildlife, Filmmaking Conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2025. Image courtesy of Samuel Gichuru.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<h4>Credits  <\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><img alt src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4e391d4247061bffe014f41df02343cf71956d2caf22063f433fbc3086e9d285?s=32&#038;d=identicon&#038;r=g\"  height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\">        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"single-article-tags\">\n<h4>Topics<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>                            <span><a href data-wpel-link=\"internal\"><\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/03\/juliette-chapalain-on-building-networks-and-nurturing-talent-to-tell-africas-environmental-stories\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Juliette Chapalain is Mongabay Africa\u2019s multimedia and fellowship editor, leading the bureau\u2019s video, podcast and fellowship initiatives. She has more than a decade of experience across French and international media, including TV5 Monde, Arte and BBC News. Through Mongabay\u2019s fellowship program, she mentors and trains African environmental journalists, helping build a diverse network of storytellers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":902331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[149174,40118],"tags":[149173,59538],"class_list":["post-902330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chapalain","category-juliette","tag-chapalain","tag-juliette"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=902330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/902331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=902330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=902330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=902330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}