Covering the Environment ─ How Journalists Work the Green Beat

Covering the Environment serves as a primer for future and current journalists reporting on environmental issues across all types of media. This practical resource explains the primary issues in writing on the environment, identifies who to go to and where to find sources, and offers examples on writing and reporting the beat. It also provides background to help environmental journalists identify their audiences and anticipate reactions to environmental news.

This primer emphasizes the role of environmental journalists not as environmental advocates but as reporters attempting to accurately and fairly report the news. Contents include:


An overview and history of the environment and journalism, spotlighting the most significant issues in the beat


Guidance on understanding environmental and health science, ranging from issues of risk, to scientific research and studies, to interviewing scientists


Insights into government and regulatory communities and environmental advocates on all sides of the political spectrum


Assistance in accessing public records and conducting computer-assisted reporting


Guidance in writing the story for print, broadcast and Internet audiences


An examination of the future of journalism and coverage of the environment.


Observations and story excerpts from experienced journalists provide a "real world" component, illuminating the practice of environmental journalism. Additional features in each chapter include study questions, story assignments and resources for additional information. The book also provides a glossary of environmental, science, regulator and journalism terms, as well as a reference section and index.

This resource has been developed to train advanced undergraduate and graduate journalism students to cover the science and environment community, writing print and broadcast stories to a general audience. It also serves as a guide for working journalists who cover the environment in their work.

Author Bob Wyss has worked as a journalist for over 35 years, and has covered environmental and energy issues for a variety of publications, including the Providence Journal, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, and E Magazine. He has taught environmental journalism at Michigan State University and the University of Connecticut.

Table of Contents
Preface
Part 1 – Introducing the Beat
Chapter 1 – Covering the Environment
Chapter 2 – History of Environmental Communications
Part 2 – Reporting the Beat
Chapter 3 – Understanding Risk
Chapter 4 – Understanding Science
Chapter 5 – Interviewing Scientists
Chapter 6 – The Regulators
Chapter 7 – The Advocates
Chapter 8 – Reporting Tools
Part 3 – Writing the Beat
Chapter 9 – Short News Stories
Chapter 10 - Longer News Stories
Chapter 11 – Side Beats
Chapter 12 - Opinion
Chapter 13 – Online Journalism
Chapter 14 – Broadcast Journalism
Part 4 – Understanding the Beat
Chapter 15 – Fairness and Advocacy
Chapter 16 – The Future of Environmental Journalism
Permissions
Glossary
References
Index