Go Beyond the Headlines of Climate Journalism
Climate reporting by today’s top newsrooms is far better than it once was. Gone are the days when a leading daily newspaper like The New York Times or wire service like Reuters believed it needed to incorporate climate-change skepticism into its reporting for the sake of “objectivity”. The larger news organizations now have entire teams of journalists dedicated to climate coverage.
There is room for improvement, of course. As an example: In June, the climate-focused newsletter Heated analyzed 133 breaking-news articles covering heat waves and flooding that month in the United States. While scientists have found direct connections between climate change and the frequency and severity of heat waves and events that are likely to exacerbate flooding, Heated found that only 44% of the articles cited climate change or global warming, and only 11% mentioned the burning of fossil fuels that are the lead contributor to climate change.
“In cases like these, the climate change omissions were so glaring that they seemed intentional. However, reporting breaking news on deadline is difficult; sometimes you just miss things. It happens all the time, including here,” wrote Heated journalists Emily Atkin and Arielle Samuelson. “But when over half of breaking news articles about climate-fueled weather don’t mention the climate crisis, one has to wonder whether there are forces other than sheer ignorance driving these omissions.”
Fortunately, there are many alternatives to this situation. Dig deeper than the best-known news organizations and you’ll find a wealth of publications that are providing diverse, important reporting on the climate crisis.
The list that follows is by no means comprehensive. To keep it manageable, we are excluding obvious selections and any organizations where climate or environmental reporting are part of a larger journalistic mission (e.g., The London_ Guardian_ newspaper or_ _science journals). But this can be a useful place to start:
Canary Media – Published beginning in 2021 as a branch of the research organization RMI, Canary Media as of July 2024 provides fully independent reporting on the clean energy transition. Highlighted topics include solar, heat pumps, electrification, electric vehicles, and hydrogen.
Climate Central – Along with providing data and content resources, this nonprofit organization partners with local newsrooms to offer journalism on the impacts of climate change to specific areas.
Climate Home News – A U.K. company with a stated mission to cover and analyze major developments in climate action at the global level, including speaking truth to power and giving voice to those who suffer the most from the climate crisis.
DeSmog – The London-based organization, founded in 2006, is committed to clearing “the PR pollution that is clouding the science and solutions to climate change,” with coverage of energy, science denial, finance, false solutions and other topics.
Earthsight – Founded in 2006 as a research organization that provided information that drove investigations by other organizations, the nonprofit now publishes its own investigations on the dark sides of fashion and furniture making, among many other topics.
EcoWatch – This Ohio-based newspaper-turned-digital publication has provided coverage of environmental issues, causes, and solutions since 2005.
Energy News Network – Originating in 2010 with a focus on the Midwest, this nonprofit now covers the clean energy transition across four distinct regions: Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Western.
ExxonKnews – The subscription-based newsletter provides regular coverage of Big Oil’s historic and ongoing efforts to obscure the climate crisis.
Floodlight – The three-year-old nonprofit newsroom works individually and with partner organizations (including NPR, the Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones magazine, and more) to shed light on government and corporate obstacles to addressing climate change.
Food & Environment Reporting Network – A nonprofit organization reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.
Grist – Dating to 1999, Grist is something of an elder statesperson of climate coverage. Along with daily coverage of energy, justice, and issues it provides ambitious enterprise projects like State of Emergency, a study of how climate disasters impact elections.
Heated_ _– The tag to this subscription-based Substack newsletter might tell you all you need to know: “A newsletter for people who are pissed off about the climate crisis.”
Heatmap – With a deep bench of experienced climate and environment journalists, Heatmap covers climate issues as well as politics, the economy, and culture with a climate angle.
Inside Climate News—Dating to 2007, Inside Climate News could fairly be called among the biggest names in climate journalism, and not only for its 2013 Pulitzer Prize for its investigation of a 2010 oil spill into the Kalamazoo River.
Mongabay—This global conservation and environment science news nonprofit provides a wide array of content, encompassing daily and enterprise reporting, special projects, and podcasts.
Being informed is just part of the battle against climate change. Earth Hero offers many recommendations on opportunities to get involved.
Download Earth Hero now to collectively address the climate crisis
