An insider's guide to
environmental journalism
The top programs offering specialized training
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Jim Detjen (left) and Stewart Bowman (right), then of the Louisville Courier-Journal, stand in front of toxic waste barrels at the Valley of the Drums, an illegal dumpsite in Kentucky. Photo by Stewart Bowman |
Why is the glacier on Tanzania’s Mount Kilamanjaro melting? Is it safe to swim, hunt or fish here? Is a local factory polluting the air or water? Environmental reporters take us to far away places, weigh complicated issues and watch our backyards.
These matters demand accuracy. When I read a story about drinking water contaminants, I need to trust the reporter knows what they’re talking about. That’s why the training environmental reporters receive is so important.
Few colleges dedicate significant resources to environmental reporting. Of the handful of journalism schools that offer a course or two in science or environmental journalism, most provide little else to nurture an understanding of this field.
What follows is a review of the top programs in environmental journalism: not a ranked listing, but a roundup of j-schools that offer a focus or specialized degree emphasizing the environment.
Being unable to see the forest for the trees is what can happen when environmental reporting falls short. To help people understand the bigger picture surrounding the story, environmental journalists often cover complex topics such as economics, public health or natural resources.
That’s why the best environmental reporters put the issue—whether it’s energy policy or public health standards—into context. To allow citizens to make informed decisions, environmental news has to cut through layers of complicated information, alert people to potential problems and tell them how to influence outcomes.
Expert Opinions
Two leaders in the field—Kim Kastens, co-director of Earth & Environmental Science Journalism (E&ESJ) at Columbia University, and Jim Detjen, director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University—were invited to share their perspectives on what j-schools should be teaching environmental reporters.
Kastens enjoys a unique position as co-director of the E&ESJ program at Columbia University, where graduate students earn dual master’s degrees in science and journalism in New York City, the world’s largest media market. Trained in marine geology, Kastens—a senior research scientist at Columbia—partnered with the j-school to form the E&ESJ program. Columbia’s arguably unparalleled research faculty and journalism resources lead Kastens to admit, “there is no other school on Earth that has this caliber of earth science and environmental science research and caliber of journalism school.”
Ivy League tuition and New York City rent, however, are costly considerations on the road to environmental journalism.
The E&ESJ program only admits a few candidates each year—Kastens said six students is ideal—but there are aspects of the program any student or journalist can utilize. “Cultivate scientists in your own area, local scientists, and talk to them a lot,” Kastens recommends.
Both Kastens and Detjen recognize a competitive job market for prospective environmental journalists. “Our graduates are actually finding jobs,” Kastens said, “but we’re always looking for candidates who are sure this is what they want to do. You need to come into this with your eyes open and realize it isn’t an easy career option, but it’s potentially a really fun and powerful career option.”
“Students going into environmental journalism have to cast a wide net,” said Jim Detjen at Michigan State University, the only endowed Knight Chair in Environmental Journalism. Detjen, a veteran newspaper reporter who covered science, medicine and environment for The Philadelphia Inquirer is the founding president of the Society of Environmental Journalists.
In 1995, Detjen taught MSU’s first environmental writing class. Other courses now offered at MSU include investigative environmental reporting, health and science reporting, environmental filmmaking and computer-assisted reporting.
The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at MSU funds graduate assistantships to produce EJ Magazine (this article’s author is currently the editor). In addition to financial aid opportunities, Detjen said students should look for j-schools at colleges with strong science and policy programs, quality faculty with a track record of professional experience matching student career goals, and ways to develop a portfolio of clips and internship experiences that will help land a job.
Rally the Troops
Environmental journalists must be prepared to persuade managing editors and producers that these stories are worth reporting, Detjen said. “Air and water pollution, climate change, population issues, biodiversity—these are critical issues society has to address,” he said. “I believe this strongly, and most journalists who go into the field have that same level of belief.”
“Both scientists and journalists are trying to seek the truth,” Kastens said. “There aren’t many jobs where you get to do that for a living. Scientists and journalists are, at heart, trying to find out: what’s going on, what happened and why did it happen?”
Wherever environmental journalists learn their craft, it’s important to remember the goal: to become working journalists. When Kastens says environmental journalism “isn’t an easy career option” and Detjen recommends casting a “wide net,” those are code words for the dearth of full-time environmental journalism jobs today. Students are well-served to take advantage of opportunities to cross-train in broadcast, print and photojournalism.
“You need to get a job in journalism,” said Dave Poulson, assistant director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at MSU. “But as soon as you get a job in journalism, whatever the medium, you can write about the environment.” Previously the state environmental beat reporter for a Michigan newspaper chain, Poulson said he always found ways to include the environment, even as a city hall, police or business reporter. “And that’s not a stretch because it crosses every beat.”
The Schools ...
University of California, Berkeley
Graduate School of Journalism
A potential selling point of Berkeley’s graduate program: the ability to take up to one-third of degree requirements outside of the j-school. Jane Kay, environment writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, directs Berkeley’s environmental journalism program, which funds a semester teaching fellowship for a working journalist. Past fellows include Marla Cone, environmental writer for the Los Angeles Times and Paul Rogers, natural resources/environment writer for the San Jose Mercury News.
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/program/environment/
University of Colorado at Boulder
School of Journalism & Mass Communication
The Center for Environmental Journalism (CEJ) at Boulder offers a master’s degree in journalism emphasizing environmental journalism. Four courses are required for a graduate student to earn a certificate in environmental policy. The usual undergraduate curriculum does not provide for an environmental specialization. Five Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism are awarded annually for working journalists to spend a year studying at Boulder. Veteran science and environment reporters Len Ackland and Tom Yulsman are co-directors at the CEJ.
http://www.colorado.edu/journalism/cej/
Columbia University
Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University’s Earth & Environmental Science Journalism (E&ESJ) program offers dual master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism (more from program co-director Kim Kastens above). This intensive two-year program focuses on science the first year and journalism the second, with a science research project (funded through a National Science Foundation grant) during the summer between. E&ESJ applicants have science or quantitative backgrounds.
http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/eesj/
Lehigh University
Department of Journalism and Communication
The undergraduate Science and Environmental Writing Program offers an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree in journalism/science writing.
http://www.lehigh.edu/~injrl/sciwrit/index.html
Loyola University New Orleans
While no specific degree is offered, Robert A. Thomas teaches several courses and offers research funding in environmental and science journalism through the Center for Environmental Communications.
http://www.loyno.edu/lucec/
Michigan State University
School of Journalism
MSU undergraduates can earn a certificate in environmental journalism through interdisciplinary courses. Grad students earn a master’s degree with a focus on environmental journalism. Graduate assistantships—one as editor of EJ Magazine—through the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism are available (more from program director Jim Detjen above). Both undergraduate and graduate students can gain newspaper and radio experience through the Capital News Service, where students publish and broadcast political stories for Michigan newspaper and public radio affiliates. The Knight Center plans to offer an interdisciplinary master’s specialization in environmental journalism beginning in year 2007.
http://environmental.jrn.msu.edu/
University of Missouri-Columbia
School of Journalism
While the graduate environmental track has languished recently without faculty leadership, the nation’s oldest j-school is reportedly moving to reinvigorate the program. Undergraduates can specialize in the interdisciplinary agricultural journalism program. Master’s students can choose the environmental reporting degree model, with elective courses in natural resources, environmental research and conservation. Graduate teaching assistantships are available.
http://www.journalism.missouri.edu/graduate/courses/environmental.html
New York University
Department of Journalism
The Science and Environmental Reporting Program (SERP) is a specialized master’s degree on the New York City campus. Most applicants have undergraduate science degrees. SERP boasts extensive professional experience among faculty, and a network of 300 working alumni who help with internships and jobs. Veteran newspaper reporter and author of 10 books, William E. Burrows is SERP founder and program director.
http://journalism.nyu.edu/currentstudents/coursesofstudy/serp/index.html
University of Wisconsin-Madison
School of Journalism & Mass Communication
Master’s students can specialize in Science, Health and Environmental Communication, while undergraduates concentrate on basic reporting skills with some courses in science and environmental journalism.
http://www.journalism.wisc.edu/grad/areas.html#sc
Western Washington University
An interdisciplinary undergraduate program in environmental studies/journalism includes environmental science journalism courses. Students produce The Planet magazine and Planet Radio—a blend of environmental advocacy and journalism.
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~journal/
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