The Observatory
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
McCarthy faces transparency questions
Journalists, GOP demand more openness at EPA
By Curtis Brainard Apr 12, 2013 at 03:35 PM
Journalists and the GOP called for more transparency at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week, as Gina McCarthy, the... More
On Plan B: a Dart for Dr. Manny
A physician toes the party line on emergency contraceptives, and science takes a hit
By Sibyl Shalo Wilmont Apr 11, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Leave it to Fox News Channel's Dr. Manny (Alvarez) to scare the audience away from open and honest discussion... More
Keystone XL road trip
New ebook from TED Books and The Washington Post takes readers down the pipeline’s proposed path
By Curtis Brainard Apr 10, 2013 at 05:00 PM
In June 2012, a team from The Washington Post, including energy reporter Steven Mufson, photographer Michael Williamson, and videographer Whitney... 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?
What to do if you find a baby bird
Expert advice
Inside Google’s secret lab
We might deplore the practice, but posting pictures of our food online is a way to bring everyone to the table
How the ‘World’s 50 Best’ list changed the way elite restaurants do business
“Every time the restaurant switched up its format, it got plenty of accompanying media coverage that let judges know they needed to return to see what was going on”
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.
