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Articles by Curtis Brainard | Email the Author
Climate coverage rebound?
Maybe, but the press has a long way to go
By Curtis Brainard Jan 7, 2013 at 05:45 PM
There are signs that climate-change coverage is poised for a rebound after three years of decline, experts say, but the... More
Another round of Cosmos
An American popular scientist in the Carl Sagan tradition, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why he tweets, and why the US needs to rediscover its space mojo
By Curtis Brainard Jan 2, 2013 at 12:00 AM
When it comes to making science popular and accessible, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson does it all. He’s the director... More
Must-reads of 2012: science
Let your dork flag fly
By Curtis Brainard Dec 27, 2012 at 06:50 AM
As 2012 draws to a close, CJR writers brainstormed the year's best reads in their beats. The dream that failed... More
Fronting for fossil fuels
A study says that the media rarely discloses think tanks’ industry funding
By Curtis Brainard Dec 21, 2012 at 02:50 PM
According to a report released in early December by the Checks & Balances Project, a self-avowed “pro-clean energy watchdog group,”... More
Weathercasters on climate
Rolling Stone refuses to let sleeping dogs lie
By Curtis Brainard Dec 19, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Rolling Stone’s Jeff Goodell rang an old bell in early December when he called out TV weathercasters for saying almost... More
Lanza, autism, and violence
Critics try to stem media conjecture after Newtown shooting
By Curtis Brainard Dec 17, 2012 at 01:45 PM
As with so many senseless acts of violence— including the shootings in Aurora, CO, last summer and Tucson, AZ, the... More
Flight of the bloggers
Despite recent departures, Discover is rebuilding fast
By Curtis Brainard Dec 12, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Amidst a move from New York to Wisconsin, Discover magazine has lost some of its most popular science bloggers in... More
‘Synbio’ coverage on the rise
Articles focus on ethics and biosafety, study says
By Curtis Brainard Dec 6, 2012 at 02:45 PM
You know an urban neighborhood is up and coming when it gets an abbreviation like “SoMa,” for the district south... More
Carney’s conspiracy theory
White House Press Secretary sees GOP operatives in good journalism
By Curtis Brainard Dec 4, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Last week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney blamed GOP operatives for revealing that Susan Rice, President Obama’s presumed favorite... More
Dull news from Doha
UN climate summit a ho-hum affair for the press
By Curtis Brainard Nov 28, 2012 at 03:30 PM
The United Nations climate-change summit that began in Doha, Qatar, on Monday has so far been a ho-hum affair for... More
Highway to the danger zone
Following Sandy, HuffPo and NYT dig into the folly of coastal development
By Curtis Brainard Nov 20, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Hurricane Sandy renewed the media’s interest in the many foolish ways that we increase our vulnerability to extreme weather. There’s... More
Climate roller coaster back on track
With Obama talking global warming, media see ups and downs
By Curtis Brainard Nov 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM
At his first post-election press conference on Wednesday, President Obama talked about his current position on climate change in greater... More
Salazar threatens to ‘punch out’ reporter
Interior Secretary angered by tough questions at Obama campaign event
By Curtis Brainard Nov 14, 2012 at 12:00 PM
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar threatened to “punch out” a journalist for having the temerity to ask him questions... More
Take a beat
Media pump too much news from heart association meeting, critic says
By Curtis Brainard Nov 12, 2012 at 03:00 PM
More than 10,000 stories came out of the annual meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA), which took place in... More
Obama and the environment
Media react to the election with speculation, some insights
By Curtis Brainard Nov 8, 2012 at 03:00 PM
Journalists didn’t leave energy and the environment out of post-election speculation about what President Obama’s second term might look like.... More
Lemmings like us
Businessweek’s climate-change broadside is powerful, but ignores the allure of waterfront property
By Curtis Brainard Nov 6, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Hurricane Sandy finally got the media talking about climate change last week, but Bloomberg Businessweek spoke the loudest with a... More
Bad hippie!
Is it wrong to ‘scold’ exaggerations about climate and weather?
By Curtis Brainard Nov 1, 2012 at 01:00 PM
David Roberts has a long essay over at Grist complaining about "scolds" (The New York Times’s Andrew Revkin, in particular)... More
Sandy’s climate context
Why generalizing about extreme weather helps no one
By Curtis Brainard Oct 30, 2012 at 04:15 PM
It should come as no surprise that as Hurricane Sandy spiraled up the eastern seaboard, a variety of media outlets... More
Junkets masquerading as prizes
To avoid conflicts of interest, read the fine print
By Curtis Brainard Oct 25, 2012 at 05:15 PM
With dwindling support for travel in most newsrooms, journalists may be tempted to apply for one of the many prizes... More
Ask Obama and Romney this: What about climate change?
Schieffer misses media’s last chance to pop the question on a big stage
By Curtis Brainard Oct 24, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Over the final days of the campaign, CJR is running a series of pieces under the headline “Ask Obama This”... More
Woman’s work - The twisted reality of an Italian freelancer in Syria
Sourcing Trayvon Martin ‘photos’ from stormfront - Not a good idea, Business Insider
Elizabeth Warren, the antidote to CNBC - The senator schools the talking heads on bank regulation
Art Laffer + PR blitz = press failure - The media types up the retail lobby’s propaganda
Reuters’s global warming about-face - A survey shows the newswire ran 50 percent fewer stories on climate change after hiring a “skeptic”
In one tweet
Luke Russert is the Golden Boy of DC
And it drives young journalists crazy
It’s official: We never need to worry about the future of journalism again!
The NYT shows us why
Why does Florida produce so much weird news? Experts explain
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
ACEsTooHigh.com – Reporting on the science, education, and policy surrounding childhood trauma
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
