The Observatory
MIA on the IPCC
American press largely ignores latest controversies
By Curtis Brainard Jan 29, 2010 at 12:26 PM
Almost two weeks ago, the Sunday Times, a British newspaper, “broke” the story that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change... More
Looking for Haiti’s Lost, Online
How information technology can streamline Web searches
By Chris Csikszentmihályi Jan 26, 2010 at 10:51 AM
As the dust was settling over Haiti, journalists were boarding planes, a response center at the State Department was manning... More
Reporters Doubling as Docs in Haiti
Dual roles raise concerns about journalistic ethics
By Curtis Brainard Jan 20, 2010 at 05:15 PM
Prominent television journalists who are also certified doctors have been treating injured patients amidst the recovery and relief efforts in... More
Repairing Haitian Radio
Internews sends team of specialists, technicians to restore local broadcasting
By Curtis Brainard Jan 19, 2010 at 11:29 AM
With radio and television news outlets crippled by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti last week, Internews, an international media... More
BBC Trust to Review Science Coverage
Outlet’s “accuracy and impartiality” to be scrutinized following criticism
By Curtis Brainard Jan 14, 2010 at 02:25 PM
The BBC Trust—the governing body of the BBC—announced last week that it will review the accuracy and impartiality of the... More
“New” Media Crucial in Aftermath of Haitian Earthquake
Newspapers, television scramble to reach the scene
By Curtis Brainard Jan 13, 2010 at 12:22 PM
“New” media platforms were critical to delivering early information about damage and relief efforts in the aftermath of a 7.0... More
Flatlining Despite Healthcare Overhaul
CUNY, Univ. of Minnesota suspend health/medical journalism programs
By Curtis Brainard Jan 11, 2010 at 12:43 PM
With one of the most significant and expensive overhauls of the American health care system about to begin, the City... More
Just in Time for Winter
Homans on weathermen as climate skeptics
By Curtis Brainard Jan 7, 2010 at 03:53 PM
The cover story in the current issue of CJR, about why climate skepticism is so common among television weather forecasters,... More
Best of 2009: The Observatory
Brainard picks The Observatory’s top stories from 2009
By Curtis Brainard Dec 31, 2009 at 09:10 PM
Jan. 13 — Environmental S.W.A.T. Team: 2009 began on a seemingly positive note, with The New York Times pulling a... More
Good COP, Bad COP
Reflections on covering the Copenhagen climate summit
By Betwa Sharma Dec 22, 2009 at 05:35 PM
COPENHAGEN—Political deadlock and convoluted information came with the territory for journalists covering the climate change summit in Copenhagen, where world... More
Covering Copenhagen: A Day in the Life
A reporter acclimates to the climate summit
By Andrew Freedman Dec 17, 2009 at 03:52 PM
COPENHAGEN—I arrived at the United Nations climate summit last Friday, near the end of the first week of negotiations, just... More
Copenhagen Watch: Bipolar Coverage Disorder?
With each announcement, media shift between optimism and pessimism
By Curtis Brainard and Cristine Russell Dec 16, 2009 at 03:45 PM
As the heads of state from 110 countries began to arrive at the United Nations summit in Copenhagen for the... More
The Legality of Publishing Hacked E-mails
Were journalists right to be leery of the “ClimateGate” leak?
By Diana Dellamere Dec 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM
The publication of thousands of e-mails hacked from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit led to furious arguments... More
Threats to Environmental Journalists on the Rise
In Copenhagen, press freedom groups call for action
By Betwa Sharma Dec 15, 2009 at 11:18 AM
COPENHAGEN—Cherelle Jackson turned a deaf ear to the threatening calls she got after publishing the first two parts of a... More
Revkin Taking NYT Buyout
Veteran climate reporter to leave paper after Copenhagen summit
By Cristine Russell Dec 14, 2009 at 09:55 AM
Andrew C. Revkin, one of the most influential and respected reporters on the environment, will take a buyout from The... More
‘See you on the other side’ - Meet Jessica Lum, a terminally ill 25-year-old who chose to spend what little time she had practicing journalism
#Realtalk: This is the best moment to be in journalism - The old stuff isn’t coming back, but that’s okay
Streams of consciousness - Millennials expect a steady diet of quick-hit, social-media-mediated bits and bytes. What does that mean for journalism?
Sticking with the truth - How ‘balanced’ coverage helped sustain the bogus claim that childhood vaccines can cause autism
An ink-stained stretch - Can Aaron Kushner save the Orange County Register—and the newspaper industry?
Obama’s war on leaks undermines investigative journalism
“[T]he most militant I have seen since the Nixon administration”
‘It was approved at the highest levels— and I mean the highest’
Holder OK’d search warrant for Fox News reporter’s private emails, official says
If cable is dying, why is it still making so much money?
The story behind one of the best business models in the country
What TVGuide.com watchlist data reveals about the season’s new dramas
“What was once genre is now the Zeitgeist”
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
