Comments on: An endangered species: the environmental reporter

By: Lecourt

Lecourt — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:18:21 +0000

Tyler,
If this is indeed the trend, and by the way I agree, what is the most effective way to reverse it?
If we, and more importantly the general public, have to read the unbelievable drivel put up by the likes of Lawrence Solomon, especially what has been accepted by the National Post recently, then the outcome could be self fulfilling.
Joel capture it above: “Who will bring the deep knowledge and big-picture perspective necessary to create informed stories, not just sound-bite “content.” Will the less-experienced reporters and editors be overly enthusiastic or hopelessly cynical?”

By: Darklamp

Darklamp — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:39:13 +0000

Haha… Sol Photon… what about Windy Breeze, or Ren Newber?

If newsrooms are cutting down their environmental reporting, then I would propose we get the engineering community involved. Engineers would do well to learn to communicate their knowledge of systems to a wider audience. It is a shame that engineering students are not given the opportunity to express themselves.

By: Mike Jones

Mike Jones — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I am a fan of Tyler Hamilton and Clean Break in the Star too. Make’s the Monday paper worth reading.

But, oh no, some stiff competition. Looks like CP as a reporter called Sunny Freeman
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/753586
Tyler, time to change your name to Sol Photon or something

By: Pangolin

Pangolin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:53:59 +0000

I’m reading your posts regularly from a college town in California. I can honestly say that the average college graduate coming out of our schools is a blithering idiot with no interest in the facts of their physical world or interest in the why of their environment.

The apathy is staggering. Until average citizens are forced by circumstance to engage with these issues your ability to attract a paying audience will diminish. If I were you I would be looking at getting solar panel installer certification as a backup plan.

As we can see in Haiti, after the earthquake is a poor time to educate yourself about natural hazards. Ditto climate change.

By: Joel Makower

Joel Makower — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:55:37 +0000

Thanks for this, Tyler. I noted this trend just over a year ago (with a very similar headline!) — see http://bit.ly/4VmO5z. Very discouraging to see people like Andy Revkin of the NY Times (who left at the end of last year) and Keith Johnson and others leave the beat. As I asekd in December 2008, “Who will bring the deep knowledge and big-picture perspective necessary to create informed stories, not just sound-bite “content.” Will the less-experienced reporters and editors be overly enthusiastic or hopelessly cynical?”

By: Emily Gertz

Emily Gertz — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:26:02 +0000

Tyler, it’s impossible to argue with your basic point: that environmental reporting is an endangered profession at most traditional news outlets.

However, COP15 reporting isn’t the best example to illustrate the decline of the beat. The reporting from COP15 was largely political because it was a political event: an international treaty negotiation. The parameters of the science were pretty much a given going in.

That said, how well that science is being factored into the political outcomes is another question entirely. An environmental reporter needed to know both the politics and the science to report this story. Speaking as someone who was there, it was incredibly frustrating that President Obama gave a press conference only to the DC press corps that parachuted in with him on the last day of the talks — reporters who did not know the right questions to ask about the Copenhagen accord. (And almost as clearly, that was one of the benefits to the White House of not holding an open press conference.)

BTW, a counterpoint to Columbia’s decision is that the University of Montan is launching a two-year degree program in science and natural resource journalism.

By: mattbg

mattbg — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:57:51 +0000

Tyler, I agree. I subscribe to the print Toronto Star and don’t usually pay attention to the byline, but I can almost always pick out one of your stories (regardless of where it appears in the paper) from a generic story on the environment because of the increased attention to detail that I don’t see in the other “environment” stories.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:53:19 +0000

I think the G&M could have used an environmental reporter who knew what they were talking about last week when they ran an article about how electricity bills are really high because of the GEA (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-high-cost-of-green-power/article1423423/).

By: Candice Batista

Candice Batista — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:11:12 +0000

Tyler, you’ve hit the nail on the head, as an environmental reporter myself, I am constantly flabbergasted by the information I see in the mainstream media. I see general assignment reporters and “green living experts” make errors all the time when explaining the complex nature of climate change and global warming. It’s incredibly frustrating as their explanations usually just touch the surface of the issue, leaving the viewer confused and uninterested. To be fair, this does not apply to everyone, but a vast majority.

The problem lies not only with the reporters but the assignment editors and the news directors, all of which have the opportunity to educate and inform their viewers on both local issues and global issues pertaining to climate change. As the host, producer and creator of A Greener Toronto, I have covered and reported on over 500 local stories related to conservation, policy, species loss etc. And have never ever seen one of those important stories in the mainstream media.

We are an endangered species indeed, our only hope is that someone, somewhere, will see our value and start thinking of ways to bring our species back.

By: Josh Cobden

Josh Cobden — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:50:36 +0000

Tyler:

Couldn’t agree more, and as a PR professional with a number of clients involved in environmental initiatives I have experienced first-hand the paucity of reporters who have the time, knowledge or mandate to cover what are often very meaty announcements and initiatives. It seems odd that media outlets have space on their roster for wine columnists and decorating tips (no offense to either) but not ongoing analysis, insight and reportage on the factors that are literally changing the world every day. This plays into the hands of those that profit from fueling misinformation and confusion about climate change (as highlighted so well by James Hoggan’s blog and book (http://www.desmogblog.com/climate-cover-up). That environmental reporting is getting short-shrift at J-schools is even more troubling and seemingly at odds with major initiatives by gov’t, ENGOs, businesses and citizens.