Photo: flickr/Oxfam International

Good reporting on climate change is important, and likely to become more so in the future as the impacts of changing weather patterns on lives and economies grow. But climate change journalism can be challenging. It’s complicated, controversial and there is a lot of information, and misinformation, to wade through. In part I of this two-part series, Kyle James offered tips on how to report on a changing climate. In this post, he looks some common pitfalls to avoid.

In my first post on climate change reporting, I mentioned criticism aimed at the BBC by British lawmakers for alleged shortcomings in its climate coverage. That the experienced journalists at the BBC can stumble regarding this topic (if the allegations are true) illustrates the difficulties in getting climate journalism right.

And it’s important to get it right, since climate news could well become a top story of the future. A sobering report released at the end of March by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the worst is yet to come unless big reductions are made in the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere.

Previously, I talked about the importance of reporters understanding the basics of a changing climate and the mechanisms involved. While you don’t need an advanced degree, you need to know the fundamentals to be able to tell climate stories in accessible, jargon-free language. To further ease understanding, use visuals and multimedia where you can, put a human face on it, and focus on the local context if possible. And, like in many stories, follow the money.

Now, let’s look at what you should probably avoid. Watch out for the following traps.

Photo: flickr/cactusbones

Keep away from “false balance” – In an attempt to make their stories balanced, journalists often report the views of climate-change skeptics as a counterweight to the findings of scientists. But by giving these skeptics equal weight, it gives the story a false balance.

A large majority of scientists agree broadly with the IPCC’s findings on climate change, so giving minority views the same prominence as the accepted scientific opinion is not “balance”. Whilee there’s still uncertainty, especially about regional impacts, the overall thesis of human-caused climate change is well established.

It is good to air all sorts of views, even from those who might be on the payroll of the coal industry. But it’s important to describe their credentials and whether the opinion they hold is a minority one.

That was what the UK government’s Science and Technology Committee chastised the BBC about, saying some editors were “poor” at determining viewers’ and listeners’ level of expertise and sometimes pitted lobbyists against “top scientists” as if their views had “equal weight”.

Remember, the people you quote are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts.

Photo: flickr/glennia

Look for bias or vested interests – This is related to the tip above. That climate-change skeptic on your program might be a lobbyist working for the oil industry with a very real financial interest in seeing that nonrenewable energy industries stay strong. This can slant their views.

But it can go the other way as well. Perhaps someone in your article is explaining how the widespread installation of solar panels would be an instant solution to rising temperatures. Maybe they’re right, but maybe they work for a solar energy company who stands to profit. Be skeptical, do your research and check connections and credentials.

Resist sensationalism – Newspaper editors want to sell editions; online editors want clicks. A screaming headline can help achieve these goals.

Still, do everything in your power to avoid the temptation to sensationalize. While scientists’ sober talk of uncertainty might not be as eye-catching as a headline about a New York under water in a decade, it’s better to have an accurate story that communicates nuance than a misleading one, even if it opens the newscast.

Photo: flickr/piblet

Don’t confuse weather events with the climate – In large parts of North America, this year’s winter was long and unusually cold. It led to many pictures of icy cityscapes and captions like “Global Warming??”

Remember, climate is the average of weather over a long period of time. As such, a few extreme weather events don’t confirm, or refute, climate change. Climatologists are looking at the big picture, and their findings say that, in general, it’s getting hotter. Climate change is a non-linear process, so there will be surprises like freak periods of cold. Talk to the experts, like climatologists or weather experts, about the bigger trends.

Don’t limit your sources – Often, journalists focus their reporting on what government officials say at conferences. But it’s important to widen your scope.

Most scientists are interested in the truth just like you are. Talk to them. In addition, include the voices of other people with a stake in the matter—which is a pretty big group since we’re talking about the Earth. Everyone from local villagers to NGOs to business leaders are good sources. They’ll all have insights from their particular perspective.

Don’t fall victim to greenwashing – As the environment has gotten more coverage, many businesses are jumping on the green bandwagon—touting supposed climate friendliness, usually in the pursuit of more profit. This is greenwashing, which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as: “Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.”

Oil giant BP, formerly British Petroleum, once engaged in one of the biggest greenwashing campaigns I can remember with their “Beyond Petroleum” marketing blitz. It made it sound like they were moving away from oil and into renewables, but then, those BP service stations didn’t stop pumping gasoline, did they? This was greenwashing writ large.

It’s about money, marketing, self-image – rarely about the environment.

So if you see hard-to-believe claims, unknown labels that supposedly tout environmental concern, vague claims like “all natural”, “organic”, or the words “green” or “eco” thrown into a name, be wary. A paper company might use a little recycled content but is still cutting down forests. An airline might claim it’s erasing its carbon footprint but that’s most unlikely. Check it out and ask for proof.

The Greenwashing Index has a good site where they take a close look at and rate claims.

Stronger, together

So now you have a few tips on what to know, and what to avoid. Here are a few more to help you on your way to becoming a solid, responsible climate change journalist. As this story is going to get bigger, it’s very probably these skills will be in high demand.

Get connected – Join networks to share knowledge and learn from colleagues. There are a number of them, like the Earth Journalism Network or national groups. See if your country has one. Many countries also have science journalist organizations.

Sign up on sites like the Climate News Network to get climate news sent directly to your mailbox or the Guardian’s Environmental Network, a real treasure trove.

Or, think about starting your own network. At last year’s climate workshop, the participants decided to team up and build their own South Asian network, where they regularly exchange information and look at each other’s work.

Join forces with colleagues – While you might have a good grasp of the science, maybe economics is not really your thing. But to really tell the climate change story, you’ll need to understand how money is involved as well as the politics behind everything. Team up with other journalists. Each can use his or her strengths to report on different angles. You’ll have a better story than just one aspect reported on in isolation.

Written by Kyle James

Photo: flickr/United Nations Photo

Climate change was once a niche topic; now it’s as big as the world. And, it’s a challenging one for journalists, especially for those without a science background. But since climate change could well be the story of the century, it’s important to cover it well. In this two-part series, Kyle James has tips on how to approach climate reporting, make your stories appealing to the general public, and avoiding common mistakes.

Last year, I was sent to India to teach a workshop for print journalists from around southern Asia on climate change reporting. It was an exciting assignment, and a daunting one, given the complexities and controversy surrounding the issue.

Luckily, I was teamed up with Alex Kirby, a former BBC journalist and co-founder of the Climate News Network. These posts largely come out of our presentations and discussions during our weeks in Chennai, with each other and a group of talented, engaged journalists.

Reporting on climate change poses particular challenges, and the best of us get it wrong sometimes. Recently, even the BBC has come in for criticism from lawmakers about allegedly giving the same weight to scientific fact and lobbyists’ opinions.

Some reporters may think climate change reporting is simply too difficult and throw up their hands. There are so many voices out there, often talking at cross-purposes, powerful interests backed up by loads of money, deceptive campaigns and information, and the kind of jargon-filled speech that would be hard for anyone without a PhD in climate science to make heads or tails of.

But climate change reporting is crucial, especially for the developing world, where the issue is often under-reported even though these countries are particularly vulnerable to its effects, such as rising sea levels, higher temperatures, changes in monsoon patterns, droughts, floods, violent storms, etc.

While you don’t need an advanced degree to report on the climate, you do need some basic knowledge and tools to get you on your way. Plus, it’s helpful to have some strategies to make sure people get past the headline or first sentence of your story. For many, climate change seems either boring, alarmist, or maybe not relevant to their day-to-day lives. It’s up to you to convince them otherwise.

Let’s look at how we can do that….

Photo: flickr/woodleywonderworks

Understand the issue – With climate change reporting, a good knowledge of the basics is essential. If you don’t have a good grasp on things, your audience won’t either. Remember, no PhD is necessary, but if you’re scientific knowledge is limited, it’s time to brush up. You’ll need to know about the greenhouse effect, the sources of greenhouse gases, the differences between risk and climate and weather, adaptation and mitigation, for starters.

If your head is already spinning, luckily there are some excellent online resources such as the News University’s Covering Climate Change online mini-course or various environmental journalism toolkits. Of course, you’ll ask the experts the really tough questions, but you need a good foundation going into your interviews.

Make it understandable – This is good advice for any journalistic endeavor, but especially relevant here. We’re dealing with complex matters that even scientists don’t fully understand, so we need to make sure we’re not adding to the confusion.

A good strategy: K.I.S.S. in every aspect of your writing. That is, Keep It Short and Simple. Short words, short sentences, short paragraphs will keep your audience following along. It’s unlikely that anyone will complain that you’ve made something too simple.

Drop the unfamiliar language/jargon – So, you’ve been reading the literature and following the news, and understand what IPCC, REDD and UNFCCC mean. It’s very likely your audience doesn’t. Stay away from the alphabet soup of acronyms or at least explain them clearly. Don’t assume previous knowledge.

Photo: flickr/gavin llewellyn

Also, scientists tend to use a lot of jargon. They’re not trying to be unclear; it’s just the normal language they use in their work. I’ve often had to ask interviewees to explain something again, more simply. One trick is to ask them how they’d explain it to an 18-year-old. I personally use the mother test, and am always asking myself: “Would Mom get what this guy is saying?” If the answer’s no, I ask again.

While you might feel uncomfortable asking these very smart people to simplify, most experts would much rather do that than have you trying to figure it out yourself and possibly getting it wrong.

Photo: flickr/USDA

Be visual – Because the issue is complicated, visual aids help a lot. Pepper your stories with charts, graphs, maps, powerful pictures, or other multimedia elements. Sidebars help break up text and present info in easier-to-digest ways.

How about a graphic showing how rooftop solar panels can help feed Nepal’s electricity grid? How about a time-lapse video that shows the melting Artic ice cap? A slideshow about the effects climate change is having on traditional communities in Greenland? A picture is often worth a thousand words, and showing how rising sea levels could affect a coastline can be more powerful than writing four paragraphs on it.

Humanize the story – Try to give climate change a human face whenever you can to make it both more understandable and more relatable. Most people care about the wellbeing and future of their families and, we hope, their fellow human beings. So, how are humans being affected by the change in the climate? Talking about the people involved on the ground brings the topic out of the realm of abstraction and into the real world we’re all familiar with.

Photo: Kyle James

During the workshop in India, we visited factories that were pumping pollutants in the air and massive dump sites, both of which had devastating effects on both the environment and the people living near them.

Instead of just talking about temperature forecasts and rainfall patterns, write about how changes in the climate are affecting tea producers in India, the poorest of the poor in Bangladesh or coffee growers in Nicaragua. These stories show the human cost of changing weather patterns.

Make it local – While writing about international climate conferences in far-off capitals is important, you can make the issue more relevant for your audience by saying how climate change is affecting them or their neighbors. Readers in land-locked Nepal, and Nepalese editors for that matter, are likely more interested in bursting glacial lakes than rising sea levels.

And while it’s the poorest communities that are often the most at risk, and have the least ability to adapt, we don’t hear from them enough. It’s important to give them a voice.

Follow the money – Climate change is about billions and billions of dollars, be it regarding the energy industry, government strategies for adaption, or attempts at mitigation. Who stands to gain financially from the issue at hand? Who will lose out? When you find out where and how the money’s flowing, you often discover motivations and get yourself a good story.

Look for new angles – Climate change is not just for the science section, it’s a political, business, human rights, energy and tech topic as well. Look for different angles and how climate change ties into what lawmakers are proposing, how it’s related to a new technology being tested, what it means for business and the national/local economy. In fact, it’s a good idea to have your climate change glasses on 24/7. Look at any new development through these lenses and you’d be surprised at what you might find.

Photo: flickr/epSos.de

Report on solutions – Many climate change stories are dark tales of doom and gloom. While there is cause for real concern, it’s important for journalists to report on ways to mitigate or at least adapt to climate change. Otherwise, your audience is likely to throw up its hands, and move on to a story that doesn’t leave them wanting to jump off a bridge. I’m not talking about sugarcoating, but talk about solutions instead of ONLY about problems.

In the next post, we’ll take a look at some of the things you want to avoid when reporting on a changing climate. Like I said earlier, there are traps that are easy to fall into and the more you know, the better you’ll be able to avoid them.

Author: Kyle James