Over my cornflakes this morning I was mulling this comment by Deltoid’s Tim Lambert, which he left in response to my criticism yesterday of Joe Romm, who is on the hot seat for claiming It is exceedingly common in regular journalism to ask people for a quote that makes a very specific point “” I’ve…Continue Reading…
After being caught feeding a scientist a quote, Joe Romm impugns my profession with this rationalization (emphasis added): It is exceedingly common in regular journalism to ask people for a quote that makes a very specific point “” I’ve been asked many times by reporters to do similar things. I’ve never done this during my…Continue Reading…
That’s the title of a fantastic piece by Chris Turner in the October issue of The Walrus, a Canadian magazine. He turns the typical environmental tale of crisis on its head, suggesting that, We need a new kind of story, a new template for our ecological philosophy “” one that acknowledges what we have lost…Continue Reading…
Our fearless climate hero is doing double duty as a reporter now. Determined to ice discussion of possible short-term temperature stabilization trends, Scoop Romm touts an “exclusive interview” he scored with Mojib Latif, a Germany-based climate scientist whose work and quotes have become blogosphere fodder for the contrarian crowd, in part because of these two…Continue Reading…
The flip side of climate change coverage is energy. CJR offers a prescription for how to revitalize the beat. Broadly speaking, the authors argue: if energy news is to engage and inform the decisions of politicians, industry executives, and the public, the media must think more strategically about what they cover, how they cover it,…Continue Reading…
Joe Romm, the self-appointed climate journalism watchdog, goes bananas over this story by Andy Revkin. After a meanering 2,400 word critique, Romm hands down his judgment in bold: Revkin should retract this entire piece. At least he didn’t demand that Revkin apologize to humanity. That’s (climate) progress of a sort. But seriously, if anyone wants…Continue Reading…
John Fleck clinically demolishes Michael Tobis’s straw man critique of climate change-related journalism. Tobis is often a thoughtful blogger but he also suffers from the same journalism-is-failing-us syndrome that afflicts Joe Romm and many other climate advocates.
They’re the ones that have destroyed newspapers, says Michael Moore, not the internet. Of course, he’s only half right, which is always good enough for Moore, and besides, he’s got a movie to plug. But there may soon come a day where he’s chasing a wild-eyed Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. through the streets of Times…Continue Reading…
Those who despair over the future of the planet because of mainstream journalism’s shortcomings might want to glance at this online magazine. I once had high hopes that Grist would go this route. Instead they’ve turned into a web-version of Speaker’s Corner for green activists. Via Poynter Online, here’s a nice description of the innovative,…Continue Reading…
If natural gas is the supposed bridge fuel to sustainable energy, then maybe think tanks (of all political and ideological stripes) will become a new bridge to an economically sustainable web-based journalism. (There are other emerging bridges in the non-profit sector.) I’m in favor of this development, so long as the hallmarks of good journalism,…Continue Reading…