Video lesson 1 – Climate change in the news
Many journalists still feel that climate change is a remote and academic issue that ill fits in everyday news coverage. That is, of course, changing, so this first lesson explores how climate change is making its way into every corner of news reporting – because it has an impact in all parts of life.
Key contents:
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The physical environment
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Business and industry
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Politics, people and protest
Video lesson 2 – Why aren’t you reporting on climate change?
Asked why they do not report more on climate change, reporters will often give familiar answers: It is unfamiliar. It is complicated. It is difficult to explain. The scientists disagree. My editor thinks our readers are not interested. Some of these are true, and some are myths. In this lesson, we look at each of the most common obstacles and try to address each of them in turn, proposing some tactics to overcome them.
Key contents
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What’s stopping you reporting on climate change?
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Reasons that you should report on climate change
Video lesson 3 – Choosing to report on climate change
All reporters are, to some extent, generalists: they must be prepared to turn their hand to any story. But many find there is reward in specialising in a subject area, whether it is crime, politics, health – or the environment. In this lesson we explore the opportunities and benefits for journalists choosing to focus on reporting climate change.
Key contents:
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Commodification vs. specialisation
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Why specialise – and why not
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What skills does a climate change reporter need?
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How to acquire those skills
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Getting started
Video lesson 4 – How to understand science and scientists
Scientists and journalists typically come through different education routes and see the world in different ways. It can be hard for them to understand each other, let alone find a meaningful way to communicate. This harms coverage of climate change as it does other areas of science. Therefore this lesson seeks to explore the differences between news and science and aims to help journalists and scientists communicate more effectively.
Key contents:
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Why scientists and journalists have difficulties communicating with each other
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What is science?
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How science works
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Communicating risk
Video lesson 5 – Reporting better on climate change?
Despite the difficulties, many journalists are reporting well on climate change. In this module we look at what they are doing, and seek to draw out some broader lessons for all those who wish to report more effectively on climate change.
Key contents
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Explaining
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Illustrating
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Contextualising
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Creating