Environmental journalism: The good, the bad, the future – and why you are essential

Abstract 

Progress is never a result of scientific advancement alone: It requires other forces – and one of the most essential is an informed public.

Journalism remains one of the best avenues for driving good science into public discussion, particularly on our health and environment.

For 22 years, Environmental Health Sciences has worked collaboratively with scientists, agencies and the general public to drive good science into public policy and public discussion around our environment and health.

In this webinar, top EHS staff will trace the arc of environmental journalism: Trends, coverage gaps, and the future.

We will look under the hood at social media approaches and how journalists are working to reach audiences that neither trust nor consume traditional media. We'll talk about how to pitch stories and make science approachable. 

Come with questions – and be prepared for discussion on how journalists and scientists can more effectively deliver to a hungry public core issues of concern for the NCCEH.
 

About Environmental Health Sciences

Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) drives good science into public policy and public discussion around our environment and health, including toxics and climate change.

EHS provides essential "connective tissue" helping a network of hundreds of researchers across the globe at universities, research institutions and government agencies put science into action.

Core work focuses on protecting humans, wildlife and the environment from chemical and climate harm. We believe that high quality science should be the foundation of public health policy, and we work to advance our environmental health through science and storytelling.

EHS was founded in 2002 and today is a global operation with employees in the United States, Europe and South America. Our two news sites, EHN.org and DailyClimate.org, serve upwards of 700,000 users annually, and our daily and weekly newsletter summaries of top news reach nearly 13,000 inboxes worldwide.

Speaker

Douglas Fischer

EHS Executive Director Douglas Fischer is passionate about driving science into public discussion on environmental health, justice and climate issues. He joined Environmental Health Sciences in 2008 to oversee climate coverage and became director in 2015.

Fischer has spent three decades in journalism, including stints at the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune and Newsweek. He lives with his wife and two children in Bozeman, Mont., where he is an appointed member of the Bozeman City Commission.