The Observatory
Tornadoes and Climate Change
McKibben is wrong; many reporters are “making connections”
By Curtis Brainard May 26, 2011 at 02:15 PM
On Monday, The Washington Post published an op-ed by Bill McKibben, a writer and environmental activist, under the sarcastic headline,... More
Flame Retardants Raise Undue Alarm
Incomplete risk assessment mars coverage of chemicals in kids’ products
By David Ropeik May 23, 2011 at 11:00 AM
There is a great story in the news right now that illustrates the challenges for journalists who cover environmental risks.... More
A Watershed Moment for the Chesapeake Bay Journal
On its 20th anniversary, the paper is growing and remolding its image
By Curtis Brainard May 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM
The current issue of the Columbia Journalism Review features a short article about the twentieth anniversary of the Chesapeake Bay... More
A Mining Disaster Follow-up Follows the Money
L.A. Times’s revealing report on inaction after the WV coal mine explosion
By Joel Meares May 11, 2011 at 11:49 AM
A belated laurel to the Los Angeles Times team of Kim Geiger, Tom Hamburger, and Doug Smith, of the paper’s... More
Science Blogs “Win a Place at the Table”
Zimmer and Yong on the evolution of online science coverage
By Curtis Brainard May 6, 2011 at 01:00 PM
According to “techy historians,” there were around twenty-three blogs in 1998. As of mid-February, there were 156 million, Phil Hilts,... More
Red Alert on the Green Beat
Violence and threats severely restrain environmental coverage in much of the world
By James Fahn May 3, 2011 at 08:45 AM
In 2007, Cherelle Jackson started publishing a three-part series of investigative reports that examined plans to develop tourism on an... More
Coverage of New Chernobyl Analysis Fails Risk Reporting Basics
Includes absolute risk, but not relative
By David Ropeik May 2, 2011 at 12:24 PM
The nuclear crisis in Japan keeps on revealing how the news media struggle to report accurately and thoroughly about risk.... More
Critics Slam PBS, NYT Autism Reports
Mnookin: “A reckless and irresponsible coda to Robert MacNeil’s career”
By Curtis Brainard Apr 28, 2011 at 12:15 PM
A PBS Newshour series about autism that drew former host Robert MacNeil back to the show for the first time... More
National Geographic Taking the Wheel at Scienceblogs.com
Report of merger prompts campfire history tale on Twitter
By Curtis Brainard Apr 26, 2011 at 11:00 AM
“My baby's all grown up,” mused Christopher Mims, retweeting an unconfirmed announcement posted nineteen minutes earlier that Scienceblogs.com, the site... More
Mixed Grades for Medical Coverage
Analysis of nearly 1,500 articles over five years finds pluses and minuses
By Curtis Brainard Apr 22, 2011 at 12:29 PM
A review of nearly 1,500 health-medical articles over the last five years has found that while journalists are nailing a... More
CU-Boulder to Shutter J-School
Journalism education remains a priority, administrators claim
By Curtis Brainard Apr 19, 2011 at 09:30 AM
The University of Colorado’s Board of Regents voted last week to close the journalism school at its Boulder campus, marking... More
California Watch is Watching
Investigation reveals lax oversight of seismic standards in schools
By Curtis Brainard Apr 15, 2011 at 10:30 AM
California Watch’s Corey Johnson was scanning the website of the state architect’s office one evening in December 2009 when he... More
The Importance of Energy Reporters
A Q&A with the NYT’s Matthew Wald about Japan’s nuclear crisis
By Cristine Russell Apr 8, 2011 at 11:02 AM
The crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has underscored the importance of specialized energy reporters. Unfortunately,... More
Japan’s Other Environmental Woes
The Wall Street Journal breaks from the pack with article on non-nuclear fallout
By Curtis Brainard Apr 7, 2011 at 10:45 AM
The Wall Street Journal distinguished itself on Monday with an article that examined some of the non-nuclear environmental impacts... More
The Climate Context in Japan
Crisis tests media’s ability to frame nuclear debate in a world beset by energy risks
By James Fahn Apr 5, 2011 at 02:56 PM
When I was a young journalist working as the environment editor for a Thai newspaper back in the 1990s, one... 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.
