By Shanelle Khalasawi

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories coming out of a recent meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists in Philadelphia.

Environmental reporting experts at the recent Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Philadelphia discussed how to report on climate in a more productive way.

Allen Arthur, the engagement director at Solutions Journalism Network, emphasized the need to avoid negative sentiments while engaging in the climate crisis dialogue to promote engagement in community-based activities.

Continue reading →

By Amalia Medina

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories coming out of a recent meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists in Philadelphia.

When reporting in rural communities, journalists must “listen and shut up.”

That was the advice of former Native News Online managing editor and author Valerie Vande Panne, a panelist at a session of the recent Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference in Philadelphia.

The panel confronted a key issue in rural reporting: helicopter journalism. The practice, which involves a reporter making quick trips to new towns to extract stories, fails to establish a connection, the panelist said. It also fails to reflect communities accurately and it contributes to sowing distrust in the media.

Continue reading →