The Observatory
Obama on Stem Cells
Journalists debate the new mix of science, politics, and ideology
By Curtis Brainard Mar 18, 2009 at 09:00 AM
President Obama's decision to allow federally funded scientists to work with hundreds of new embryonic stem cell lines continued to... More
Gallup: Many Americans Think Media Exaggerate Global Warming
Latest poll also finds waning concern about climate change
By Curtis Brainard Mar 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
On Wednesday, the Gallup polling organization released its annual survey of environmental issues. Among the key findings: Although a majority... More
Ménage à Green Blogs
Three new science and environment blogs get experimental
By Katherine Bagley Mar 11, 2009 at 05:14 PM
News outlets across the country are cutting staff, sections, and print editions, but science and environment blogs continue to multiply,... More
Columbia Presents 2008 Oakes Award
Journal-Sentinel, AP honored for exposing lax oversight of chemical exposure
By Curtis Brainard Mar 6, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Writing about environmental toxicology—the ambient chemical exposure of our daily lives—has it all: public health threats, a nascent body of... More
Washington Post Pools Its Resources
Paper to create new science, health, and environment team
By Cristine Russell Mar 6, 2009 at 08:22 AM
In the latest of many recent changes at The Washington Post, the management has announced a new plan to coordinate... More
Globe Kills Health/Science Section, Keeps Staff
After twenty-five-year run, content will be moved to lifestyle, business sections
By Cristine Russell Mar 4, 2009 at 04:06 PM
It is the end of an era that began more than twenty-five years ago, when test-tube babies and compact discs... More
Mass Transit and the Stimulus
National media show mixed feelings, presenting an opportunity for local and regional follow-ups
By Katherine Bagley Mar 3, 2009 at 08:00 AM
As journalists and members of Congress continued to sift through the nearly 1000-page stimulus package last Tuesday night, President Obama... More
The George Will Affair
Post stands by climate column despite widespread criticism; clamor spills over to The New York Times
By Curtis Brainard Feb 26, 2009 at 07:24 PM
Thought the dust kicked up by George Will’s February 15 column in The Washington Post, “Dark Green Doomsayers,” had settled?... More
From Fly Ash to “Clean” Coal
National media slow to expand excellent local coverage after sludge spills
By Curtis Brainard Feb 20, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Both the American and Canadian press took a ‘Well, we’ll see,’ attitude toward the announcement yesterday that President Barack Obama... More
Salmonella Detective Story Leaves Stone Unturned
Reporters get the whodunnit, but miss the how-they-dunnit
By Katherine Bagley Feb 19, 2009 at 03:46 PM
Sifting through the hundreds of news reports on the current salmonella outbreak is like flipping the pages of a Sherlock... More
Lingering Denial
The unfortunate case of a few pundits with too much influence
By Curtis Brainard Feb 18, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Last week at the Huffington Post, John Delicath, the director of the Media Matters Action Network, quoted an article of... More
Science Journalism Growing Overseas
AAAS meeting highlights dwindling American coverage
By Cristine Russell Feb 17, 2009 at 03:07 PM
CHICAGO — The story was too good to miss. When cosmologist Paul Davies proposed launching a “mission to earth” to... More
Science Journalism’s Hope and Despair
‘Niche’ pubs growing as MSM circles the drain
By Curtis Brainard Feb 13, 2009 at 12:47 PM
About a year and a half ago, I began reporting on a story about the “state” of science journalism, which... More
Darwin Mania!
Journalists devote reams to his 200th birthday – does he deserve it?
By Eric Simons Feb 12, 2009 at 09:53 AM
The problem with Barack Obama, as I’ve been telling friends in the Bay Area for the last few weeks, is... More
What Have We Learned?
Climate journalists discuss lessons of the past at AMNH
By Curtis Brainard Feb 11, 2009 at 04:37 PM
Last night, a panel of distinguished science journalists and one social scientist discussed shifting norms in climate-change coverage at the... 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.
