OpenUp: Building Climate Reporting Capacity with Data That Makes a Difference

From practical brown bag sessions to investigative collaborations, OpenUp is quietly transforming the way climate stories are told and understood across Africa. In this Q&A, we spoke with Shaun Russell, Programme Manager at OpenUp, about how their team approaches climate reporting, what impact looks like in the real world, and why working with journalists still means going back to the data basics.

Why is climate reporting a core focus for OpenUp?

“There are two angles,” Shaun explains. “One is that climate is where the impact is, and we’re here to make an impact. The other is practical: funders and partners are increasingly prioritising climate, which aligns with what we care about anyway.”

From rising food insecurity and water shortages to extreme weather events and displacement, the impacts of climate change are already being felt across Africa. Getting these stories right is not just about awareness, it’s about equipping policymakers, communities, and citizens with information they can act on. OpenUp is currently working with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data as part of its Capacity Accelerator Network, delivering a three-month data course focused on health and climate data in Africa. “So many of the projects that come to us involve climate,” Shaun adds, “and we’re well-positioned to meet those needs with the skills we have.”

What does OpenUp’s role look like in Africa’s journalism ecosystem?

“We see ourselves as technical support, particularly around the data pipeline,” says Shaun. “That means everything from good data governance, to improving how data is collected and cleaned, to ultimately building the storytelling capacity to make sense of it all.”

OpenUp is focused on something foundational: strengthening the skills journalists need to use data well, starting from the ground up. “You can’t build good visualisations on bad data,” Shaun notes. “Sometimes journalists come to us wanting a tool, but what they really need is support with the data behind it.”

Are journalists already seeking out data visualisation and climate reporting skills?

Not quite, at least not at scale yet. “Some journalists are really keen, but overall the uptake has been lower than we expected,” Shaun reflects. “We think there’s a lot of room for growth.”

He points to a lack of research as one gap: “We don’t always know why something didn’t work. There isn’t always time to step back and reflect. We’ve started asking ourselves questions like: would this work still happen if it wasn’t grant-funded? Would a newsroom pay for it if they could?”

Tell us about the Climate Observer tool. Who uses it, and what’s it for?

OpenUp’s Climate Observer tool is used across sectors, from academics and data professionals to journalists. While there aren’t many published stories to point to just yet, Shaun says it’s encouraging to see how often the tool shows up in internal workflows and research processes. He’s following up with the team to gather specific use cases.

How do you define impact, especially when it comes to equipping journalists with data skills?

“We want to see stories, but not just stories for the sake of publishing,” says Shaun. “We want impact that actually changes lives.”

He gives an example: OpenUp’s earlier data journalism work led to R3 million being recouped thanks to investigative stories. “Those are the kinds of results we’re aiming for,” he says. “But tracking that kind of impact is tough, and that’s something we’ve built into our next phase of work with Africa Data Hub: better impact research.”

What types of training seem to resonate most with participants?

“Practical tools that are accessible,” says Shaun. “Things people can use right away, even if they don’t have a background in data.” While advanced topics like geospatial mapping are exciting, OpenUp is careful not to overwhelm people. “We find that once participants understand how data shows up in storytelling, even just through charts, it changes how they collect information in the first place. That’s a big mindset shift.”

Any standout moments from your workshops or collaborations?

Shaun highlights the successful working relationship with Food For Mzansi as a strong example of what’s possible.

“It just clicked,” he says. “We paired our data wranglers with journalists, and over six months built something together, from data collection to visualisation. The articles show it worked.”

He points to a recent story titled "Water woes leave Eastern Cape farmers high and dry" as a favourite. “It’s a powerful example of how strong visuals can elevate even a very policy-heavy story.”

What’s missing in data journalism on the continent?

Shaun sees two big gaps: data literacy and trust in data. “We’re still building that culture in journalism, not just in South Africa but across the continent. Readers and journalists alike can be skeptical of statistics, and rightly so. We haven’t had a long history of rigorous data storytelling.”

He adds that the basics still matter: “Even just collecting data in usable formats is powerful. Journalists don’t have to become data scientists, but having the right partnerships can make a huge difference.”

And finally, what kind of impact do you hope OpenUp will have in the next five years?

“We want to see more data-driven stories that don’t just inform, they lead to tangible change,” says Shaun. “Not just charts and dashboards, but stories that end in something real: like new hospital beds, or a new ambulance.”

For OpenUp, it’s about equipping journalists with the mindsets, skills, and partnerships to make that kind of reporting possible and sustainable long after a workshop ends.

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