The Observatory
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
NY community papers struggle post-Sandy
Small papers were washed away when their readers most needed them, and they’re still recovering
By Henry Gass Nov 30, 2012 at 03:29 PM
The Wave offices, post-Hurricane Sandy. Photo credit: Henry Gass During Hurricane Sandy, the offices of The Wave, a community newspaper... 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
What’s the MATTER?
A Kickstarter-funded longform narrative science journalism site launches
By Sara Morrison Nov 15, 2012 at 03:30 PM
MATTER, a Kickstarter-funded longform science journalism project, launched on Wednesday with its first article, written by prominent science writer Anil... 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
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.
