Hello and welcome to the 2023 Locke course: How Science and Storytelling Intersect.
Chester Zarnoch
Emily Johnson
Website, Heat of the Moment podcast
Course Description
This course explores the role journalism plays in calling the world’s attention to climate change—arguably the most important story of our time, but one that often falls off the front pages as other stories dominate the news cycle. Students will examine the intersection of science and storytelling and discuss the multitude of ways journalists across all types of media can approach climate coverage, from local New York stories about climate change adaptation to international reporting on green investments and climate migration. Students will obtain a deeper understanding of climate change science and develop the skills needed to communicate science to the public making it accessible, relatable, and actionable. The course will include guest speakers and field trips.
Syllabus
The syllabus is below. You can also easily find it in the future by clicking on the Syllabus page at the top of the class site, and on Blackboard. Please note that the schedule and deadlines are subject to change based on availability of guest speakers, how quickly we get through things, etc.
Introductions
Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. Tell us your name, your major, and a little bit about your overall perception/feelings on climate change, and how it is (or is not!) covered in the news. Finally, what are you hoping to get out of this class?
Introduction to Climate Change from a Journalist’s Perspective
The question of reporting on this issue. How do you reach people and get them to care, to take action?
Here are some of the challenges:
-Political polarization. The number one predictor of whether someone agrees with the science of climate change is where they fall on the political spectrum. It’s also an incredibly inconvenient fact, economically speaking, for a lot of countries and industries. So that right there is a real hurdle when it comes to reaching a huge swathe of the population. How do we combat this as reporters?
GOP thrusts gas stoves, Biden’s green agenda into the culture wars
Liberal media made slew of dubious claims about climate change, year-end report finds
-News value. What is the definition of news? In many cases, climate change stories tend to get lost in the noise of other stories that have more immediate impact on people. How do you find ways to make the story feel more immediate/pressing/relevant to people at the local, national, and international level? What does the term “angle” mean in journalism?
-Human nature. It’s easy to feel a bit nihilistic about an issue that is so much bigger than any one individual, and get discouraged that using energy-efficient light bulbs and bringing our own tote bags to the grocery store is just a drop in the bucket compared to what needs to happen to halt the progression of climate change. What are some ways journalists can avoid this potential pitfall? What are some of the different categories of journalism/types of stories?
Vox: Yes, you can actually do something about climate change
-Taking a potentially dry subject and making it sexy. For the non-scientist, research papers and abstracts might read as boring or unintelligible, full of jargon. It’s the job of the journalist to translate their findings into plain English and place them within a context that makes it clear what the stakes are, and find examples that make it feel real, and tangible, with actual human impact, often at the local level specifically. What are some ways of doing this?
Podcast: Talking Green Without Seeing Red
-The financial realities of the journalism industry. In the digital era, many news organizations are struggling to stay afloat. Local newspapers have been gutted, and even major legacy print publications have had to reinvent themselves to stay alive. Unfortunately, this means that coverage can be driven not just by what editors and reporters deem to be newsworthy, but by what drives clicks and cable news ratings. What are some examples of this?
Introduction to Climate Change from a Scientist’s Perspective
BREAK
Take 15 minutes.
In-Class Exercise and Discussion
Break into groups and take a look at the recent piece of climate change journalism your group is assigned. Discuss it together and be prepared to talk knowledgeably about it to the rest of the class. Considering the story within the framework we’ve just discussed, what are your thoughts on the piece you read?
Washington Post: U.S. emissions rose slightly in 2022. They need to be falling rapidly.
The Guardian: Governments urged to confront effects of climate crisis on migrants
MarketWatch: Here’s why a record-setting lack of snow in NYC is pretty chilling
Deutsche Welle: Can ‘untested’ carbon removal technology BECCS deliver?