Author Archive
Articles by Curtis Brainard | Email the Author
EPA Ruling Sets an Ambitious Menu For the Press
As “triumphant” as Monday’s decision may be for environmentalists, for the press the story is just beginning.
By Curtis Brainard Apr 4, 2007 at 05:28 PM
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from... More
For ABC, Weather Equals Climate Change
ABCNews.com featured a poll Wednesday that was so egregiously nitwitted that it deserves comment.
By Curtis Brainard Feb 15, 2007 at 11:00 AM
We usually ignore inane network online news polls that ask readers to weigh in on current debates by clicking on... More
Scientific American’s Experiment in Wiki-Reporting
When the news of the oldest hominid fossil on record broke this fall, the magazine’s lineup was packed — so its editors tried an experiment they had been kicking around for months.
By Curtis Brainard Dec 4, 2006 at 01:25 PM
In September, a team of scientists, led by paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged, announced the results of a study on the 3.3-million-year-old... More
A Syndicated Column Preaches Beyond the Green Choir
Doug Moss, editor of E — The Environment Magazine, talks about how to present environmental and scientific issues to the public, and promoting his magazine.
By Curtis Brainard Nov 21, 2006 at 03:25 PM
"EarthTalk," a weekly, syndicated, Q&A-style column about the environment, might seem a little earthy-crunchy at first. Its publisher, E --... More
Murdoch Goes Green, and His Empire Follows
Rupert Murdoch, traditionally no friend to the science of climate change, has begun to change his tune, will NewsCorp?
By Curtis Brainard Nov 17, 2006 at 01:45 PM
It was like the sun rising in the west. For over a decade, Rupert Murdoch had disputed the science of... More
In the U.K., a Bang; In the U.S., Whimper
There are roughly 3,500 miles between Washington, D.C. and London. For journalists, those miles might as well be light years.
By Curtis Brainard Nov 9, 2006 at 12:56 PM
There are roughly 3,500 miles between Washington, D.C. and London -- for journalists, those miles might as well be light... More
Reporters Turn Ghostbusters for Halloween
Surprising, but true: A smattering of reporters managed to ditch the lame cliches of writing about Halloween to actually do some timely reporting.
By Curtis Brainard Oct 31, 2006 at 12:19 PM
For at least three Octobers now, reporters have littered newspaper pages with stories about the worrisome rise in "sexy" Halloween... More
God Versus Science — Back in the News
A new book about religious belief has been burning up the pages of newspapers and magazines lately, and the outlook for a peaceful solution looks bleak.
By Curtis Brainard Oct 24, 2006 at 01:33 PM
God versus science is back in the news -- again. As sure as Newton's Third Law of Motion, that every... More
Zebra Mussels and Mitten Crabs and Govt. Regs, Oh My!
Perhaps the criticism that the government treats invasive species as a regional, rather than international, problem applies to the press as well.
By Curtis Brainard Oct 20, 2006 at 03:50 PM
If you have ever been to the Far East and eaten a Chinese mitten crab, you will know that they... More
Half Full or Half Empty? U.S. Glass has 300 Million Drops of Water
As the United States population reached 300 million early this morning, reporters took the opportunity to provide a State of the Union address of sorts.
By Curtis Brainard Oct 17, 2006 at 10:49 AM
Look into the melting pot and describe what you see. That was the challenge confronting journalists as the United States... More
SF Chronicle Forecasts Doom, Earth Delivers Early
Every reporter fears the possibility that unforeseen events will somehow render their work obsolete. Sometimes, however, events can also render the work portentous.
By Curtis Brainard Oct 16, 2006 at 05:02 PM
As his or her story goes to press, every reporter fears the possibility that unforeseen events will jump out of... More
The Meandering Life of a Toxic Sludge Story
As American news organizations cut back on foreign coverage, stories like a toxic spill sickening people in the Ivory Coast must travel a strange route stateside.
By Curtis Brainard Oct 12, 2006 at 01:46 PM
Usually, I'm up to date on news from the Ivory Coast. A fragile peace is the only thing between the... More
NG Bites the Hand That Feeds It … and the Hand Bites Back
The row between National Geographic and the Environmental Working Group overlooks a more interesting point about author David Duncan’s approach to covering “The Pollution Within.”
By Curtis Brainard Oct 4, 2006 at 11:57 AM
It's hard to know what to add to the current row between National Geographic and the Environmental Working Group, a... More
Inhofe, Climate Change and Those Alarmist Reporters
On Monday, Sen. James Inhofe railed against climate research and the scientific press. But untangling his arguments about bad science and bad reporting is a difficult task.
By Curtis Brainard Sep 28, 2006 at 03:00 PM
It's hard to tell what Senator James Inhofe loathes more: the scientific consensus that climate change poses serious threats, or... More
The AJC Takes the CDC’s Temperature
On Sunday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke yet another solid investigative story about the Centers for Disease Control.
By Curtis Brainard Sep 21, 2006 at 12:56 PM
As Americans pick the spinach out of their salads and sandwiches, and patients contact doctors to ask if there will... More
A Reporting Error Frozen in Time?
Writing about issues such as global warming is complicated, and too few reporters brush up on their science when doing so.
By Curtis Brainard Sep 19, 2006 at 10:23 AM
Science writers often face the same technical difficulty as foreign correspondents -- their sources speak a different language. In the... More
The Economist Wants to Put Greenbacks Behind Green Industry
In presenting the story of global warming, the convention of providing journalistic “balance” runs up against its logical limit.
By Curtis Brainard Sep 14, 2006 at 05:13 PM
"The Heat is On," says The Economist. The warning is emblazoned on the magazine's Sept. 9 cover, over a photograph... More
#Realtalk: This isn’t another ‘golden age’ for print - But it is one for media
Social media in smaller markets - How three social media managers deal with smaller markets and more local coverage.
A rally for laid-off Sun-Times photogs - A protest Thursday morning drew about 150 picketers to the newspaper’s headquarters
Reporting, or illegal hacking - Scripps reporters are accused of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Exchange Watch: California Dreaming - Low healthcare premiums on the West Coast were trumpeted as a big, good-news Obamacare story. But: “Compared to what?”
Rolling Stone remembers Michael Hastings, dead at 33
The bold journalist died in a car accident in Los Angeles
On the journalistic value of being “a dick”
Buzzfeed’s statement on the death of its reporter
The disappearance of ‘Sports of the Times’
CJR’s panel discussion on coverage of gay marriage
On the eve of two related SCOTUS decisions, how should journalists be covering the issue?
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
