The Observatory
Still, water
The battle to control water in Texas may be even more defining than the battle to control oil here 100 years ago, and it needs to be covered with an urgency to match
By Richard Parker Jun 4, 2013 at 11:10 AM
AUSTIN, TX -- As the 83rd Legislature lingers in the state capitol for a special session, lawmakers here have already... More
Journalistic generalization disorder
David Brooks attacks, then defends, psychiatry’s shortcomings
By Curtis Brainard May 30, 2013 at 03:00 PM
On Monday, David Brooks weighed in on the debate about the merits of the latest edition of the DSM-5, psychiatry's... More
When a journalist calls [Updated]
Ed Yong counsels scientists on giving comments to reporters
By Curtis Brainard May 29, 2013 at 12:15 PM
[Original post, May 28, 5pm] There is no shortage of advice for scientists on talking to journalists. Just look at... More
Rooting out bad science
Big scandals grab headlines, but journalists can do more to expose misconduct
By Declan Fahy May 23, 2013 at 04:17 PM
The extraordinary case of academic fraudster Diederick Stapel followed the typical narrative of a scientific scandal. A professor of social... More
Under the bridge
Climate Desk tracks down its ‘most pernicious’ troll
By Curtis Brainard May 21, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Frustrating as they may be, every journalist wonders at some point about the identity of his or her most devoted... More
Q&A: Shaun McKinnon, veteran water reporter
An Arizona Republic reporter and self-described “water geek” on how to cover western water issues
By Joel Campbell May 16, 2013 at 11:00 AM
PROVO, UT -- Water issues may not be the sexy beat to which young journalists first aspire, but here in... More
A bogus boycott
The GOP hijacks the transparency debate as the EPA calls for a ‘reset’ with reporters
By Curtis Brainard May 10, 2013 at 03:00 PM
At Gina McCarthy's congressional confirmation hearing in early April, questions about transparency at the Environmental Protection Agency, which she'd been... More
The WSJ editorial page hits rock bottom
And that’s saying something
By Ryan Chittum May 9, 2013 at 01:14 PM
I'm still trying to reattach my jaw after reading this op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal today. It's shameful... More
Little green in Arab Spring
Egypt Independent’s closure a blow for environmental coverage
By Curtis Brainard May 8, 2013 at 03:00 PM
Last month's closure of the Egypt Independent, a weekly newspaper and website, was a setback for progressive journalism in the... More
A new ‘golden era’?
Nautilus is the latest in a proliferation of science-news sites
By Curtis Brainard May 8, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Nautilus, a new science magazine whose first issue appeared online April 29, has New York Times reporter Dennis Overbye, one... More
Reinventing Audubon
Mark Jannot to craft new content, communications strategy
By Curtis Brainard May 2, 2013 at 03:00 PM
There's new vigor at the 108-year-old National Audubon Society, a nonprofit environmental group focused on birds, which is in the... More
Who’s covering local climates?
A new, interactive map from the Earth Journalism Network has details
By Curtis Brainard Apr 26, 2013 at 04:45 PM
Want to know more about how the climate is changing in your area, and who's writing about it? On Earth... More
Earth Day ennui
Google doodle dominates coverage of the environmental holiday
By Curtis Brainard Apr 23, 2013 at 03:00 PM
It's a bad sign when the biggest news on Earth Day is an animated Google doodle of nature, wherein a... More
Disaster science
Articles about explosives, surveillance, and prosthetics followed tragedies in Boston, Texas
By Curtis Brainard Apr 22, 2013 at 06:50 AM
As is often the case after bombings and explosions, a steady stream of science stories seeking to explain the mechanics... More
InsideClimate wins a Pulitzer
Five-year-old news site honored for exposé of Michigan oil spill
By Curtis Brainard Apr 16, 2013 at 01:45 PM
On Monday, InsideClimate News, a five-year-old investigative news outlet that is based in Brooklyn, but doesn't even have an office,... 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”
Barack Obama: ‘those old times aren’t coming back’
“It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper”
The Guardian’s editor opens up on Reddit
Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, answered questions in an Ask Me Anything
The (almost) lost speech of Justice Anthony Kennedy
How his insightful remarks about the Constitution inadvertently make the case for a Supreme Court “media pool”
Fox News sues TVEyes for copyright infringement
Says subscription service sells access to its content without permission nor compensation
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.















