Environmental Reporting

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

As our planet continues to heat up, journalists increasingly will be expected to understand and report authoritatively on the Earth’s changing climate. This course will provide students with a foundation for understanding the science behind what’s causing global warming and its impact, including stronger storms, heat waves, droughts, wildfires and rising sea levels. Students will learn how to develop sources and produce balanced, contextual reporting on environmental topics like air and water pollution and why low-income communities and people of color are disproportionately affected by these environmental risks. Reporting for this class will require a review of previously published news stories about the topic, extensive interviews with human sources, obtaining and reviewing public or private records, and obtaining and analyzing data. The class meets weekly, but students will be expected to work on assignments independently as time permits throughout the week.