Climate Change for Journalists

Getting the Scoop, the Science and the Storytelling
that Matter Most to Your Audience

A free training program for reporters at the University of Florida
College of Journalism and Communications on Nov. 7

From rising incidence of heat stroke in youth sports to the impact of sea-level rise on coastal real estate values, the story of climate change now crosses every beat. These issues aren’t just the realm of environmental news. They are now appearing in reports from sports, politics, business, healthcare and even courts, as Florida begins to see the first lawsuits against local governments that fail to protect low-lying property from increasing storms and erosion.

On Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications— in partnership with the Florida Climate Institute, Climate Central and George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication—is offering free training for 20 Florida-based journalists as part of the National Science Foundation-funded project Climate Matters in the Newsroom.

Join us in Gainesville for a half-day workshop devoted to local climate reporting, followed by an evening program on telling the story of climate science through weather. Hear the latest scientific research and solutions, along with best practices for reporting on them. Discover leads on a wide range of impacts to health, local economies and more. Ask questions. Get data localized for your region, including special Spanish-language materials. Check out exemplary work by peers. And return home with a file full of news and feature ideas, new sources and creative approaches to one of the biggest stories of our time.

General assignment reporters and journalists on any beat may apply for the program, which includes meals and lodging at UF’s campus hotel. (Participants provide their own travel to Gainesville.) No prior experience in climate change reporting is necessary.

Click here to apply.

The application deadline is Monday, Oct. 1.
Fellowship recipients will be notified on Monday, Oct. 8.

Speakers include:

  • UF Center for Public Interest Communications Director Ann Christiano on the science of what makes people care.
  • UF climate scientist Andrea Dutton on the latest projections for sea-level rise.
  • Alex Harris, climate change reporter for the Miami Herald, on the local climate stories hiding in plain sight.
  • Susan Hassol from Climate Communication on best practices for telling the story of climate change.
  • Edward Maibach, Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, on how the public and journalists view climate change.
  • John Morales, NBC 6 Miami Chief Meteorologist, on localizing the weather impacts of climate change.
  • Bernadette Placky, Climate Central, on how journalists can access free, localized climate-reporting data and resources.
  • Sadie J. Ryan, UF professor of medical geography, on emerging diseases in a warming climate.
  • UF IFAS energy expert Wendell Porter on helping journalists follow the kilowatts – and the money – for impactful stories on our energy use and choices.

Climate Matters in the Newsroom is an NSF-funded collaboration among George Mason University, Climate Central, Climate Communication, NASA, NOAA, the Society of Environmental Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Radio Television Digital News Association, and Carole Kneeland Project to enable local, science-based, reporting on climate change.