During an Earth Journalism Network workshop in Kathmandu, Huma Beg, a Pakistani TV producer, records footage of climate change adaptation pilot projects in the valley.

(December 3, 2009) With the goal of expanding and improving media coverage of climate change, Internews and The Poynter Institute’s News University have launched a free online journalism course to give reporters and citizen journalists a firm grounding in the science and policy underlying climate change.

The course, Covering Climate Change, includes approximately four hours of self-guided material, and was developed to be available before the COP15 climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, when the world’s attention will be focused on the topic, and journalists around the world will be tasked with explaining the intricacies of climate science and policy.

With funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Covering Climate Change was developed for journalists from all countries and beats, regardless of medium. Geared toward the non-environmental reporter, the course covers all the basics needed to report on climate change with accuracy, depth and nuance.

"This is a critical time for journalists to be providing clear, accurate information about climate change and related global policy negotiations,” said James Fahn, director of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network, which supports efforts to improve global news coverage of the environment. “We’re pleased to be able to provide this course as a resource to journalists worldwide.”

NewsU offers more than 125 free or low-cost courses and Webinars. Registration is free and new users can register at NewsU-Internews to be automatically entered into a drawing for a free Flip video camera, courtesy of Internews.

“We hope to help reporters, commentators and bloggers get better at their jobs, and better at understanding the challenging topic of climate change,” said Howard I. Finberg, director of interactive learning, Poynter’s NewsU.

Course instructor Tom Yulsman is associate professor at the University of Colorado's School of Journalism & Mass Communication, where he co-directs the Center for Environmental Journalism. He is also a faculty member in the Environmental Studies Program and a faculty affiliate with the Center for Science & Technology Policy Research.

Internews’ Earth Journalism Network was developed to empower and enable journalists from developing countries to cover the environment more effectively.

Along with developing Covering Climate Change, Internews is deeply involved in increasing access to journalists worldwide to global climate negotiations. In its third year, the Climate Change Media Partnership, a joint project with Panos and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), will bring 40 journalists from 26 developing nations to Copenhagen, as part of a nine-month fellowship to build the reporters’ skills.

Simultaneously, Internews’ Earth Journalism Awards will award fifteen journalists selected by international juries for their coverage of climate change with the opportunity to cover COP15 in person.

The Poynter Institute is dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of craft and in the practical leadership of successful businesses. It stands for a journalism that informs citizens and enlightens public discourse. It carries forward Nelson Poynter's belief in the value of independent journalism.

Begun in 2005 with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Poynter's News University currently has more than 128,000 registered users, including 15 percent from outside North America. As the e-learning project of The Poynter Institute, NewsU is committed to providing interactive, inexpensive courses that appeal to journalists at all levels of experience and in all types of media.

More Press Releases

Subscribe to our newsletter

Make a contribution

Come work with us