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We’re thrilled to announce the finalists for the first Covering Climate Now Climate Journalism Awards. The quality of work demonstrated by these finalists gives us great faith in the future of climate journalism. Scan the list and you’ll find brilliantly conceived, superbly executed stories from print reporters and photojournalists, digital, television, and radio journalists, podcasters and commentators.
We received nearly 600 entries from 38 countries after we opened the submissions process last spring. Every continent except Antarctica was represented—an example of how CCNow is building a much-needed sense of community among climate journalists worldwide.
Note that these are the finalists—we’ll be announcing the winners in early October in a special hosted by NBC News’ Al Roker and Savannah Sellers.
This special will not be your typical awards show. Rather, it’s a fast-paced, far-ranging examination of the unfolding climate crisis through the stellar journalism of our Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards winners, illustrating how powerful storytelling, science-based reporting, and awareness of environmental injustice can fulfill journalism’s duty to inform the public and hold the powerful to account.
We encourage you, your colleagues, and friends to join us in early October to watch this special program and celebrate the winners. We’ll have a live chat during the ceremony engaging winners, judges, and colleagues throughout the journalism community. Click here to see the finalists and get an email reminder so you can take part.
FROM US
Countdown to COP26. As newsrooms start orienting audiences to the all-important Glasgow global climate summit this November, we’re proposing a single organizing question for journalists’ coverage: What’s at stake? We’ve laid out three themes that we’re encouraging journalists to frame their coverage around. Check it out…
ESSENTIAL NEWS
Late-breaking Biden meet-up: President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting with world leaders tomorrow to discuss plans to fight climate change ahead of COP26. Biden is expected to discuss the urgency and economic benefits of stronger climate action. From Reuters…
Record-high murders. Figures released by the human rights organization Global Witness show that the murder of land and environment defenders in the Global South hit a record high last year, with indigenous communities accounting for a third of the killings. Environmental activist Bill McKibben blamed corporations from rich nations for contributing to the crisis by exploiting resources. From the Guardian…
Incredibly worried. A forthcoming study of young people between the ages of 16 and 25 finds that more than half of them are “afraid, sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and/or guilty” about climate change, with 77% considering the future to be frightening. They also believe that governments are not doing enough to address the climate crisis. From NPR…
The end is near? A new report finds that three-quarters of the world’s planned new coal power plants have been ditched since the 2015 Paris climate agreement. There are many reasons why, including changing energy economics and grassroots campaigns opposing such plants, but it’s a reminder that while climate summits might seem like a load of (polluted) hot air, they can help produce results. From The Guardian…
The new climate educators. Weather forecasters’ roles are changing as they increasingly link extreme weather to the climate crisis and inform the public to help them get out of harm’s way, as some did in the lead up to Hurricane Ida. Research shows that reporting on climate by television weathercasters is up 60-fold compared to seven years ago. From Christian Science Monitor…
Carbon dioxide on steroids. The colorless and odorless gas methane is 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to planet-warming properties and the second-largest contributor to climate change. A new satellite will be able to identify methane leaks so they can be fixed and polluters can be held responsible. From CBS News…
No joke. A group of late night television and cable hosts—including Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallonare and Trevor Noah—are banding together for Climate Night, an event on September 22 in which each of the comedy programs will produce content on climate change. From The New York Times…
A thousand words. Shutterstock, a provider of stock photography, offers guidance on how to select visual images that best show the causes, impacts, and solutions to climate change, including how it’s affecting our lives and what can be done about it. From Yale Climate Connections…
REPUBLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS
The following stories deserve special consideration for republication by CCNow partners:
Exxon helped cause the climate crisis. It’s time they owned up — From the Guardian’s & CCNow’s “Climate Crimes” series
California oil industry continues to thwart climate-related bills — Capital & Main
Why investing in libraries is a climate justice issue — High Country News
For partner outlets: To submit stories for sharing, please use this form. Instructions for republishing and the full list of stories available for republication can be found in our Sharing Library.
ODDS & ENDS
Solutions webinar. Today at 11 am ET, The Solutions Project, in partnership with The Uproot Project and Solutions Journalism Network, will hold a webinar for journalists on reporting justice-centered climate solutions. Learn more and RSVP…
Reporting opportunity. On September 17, the UN will report on countries’ specific plans to address climate change as part of the Paris Agreement. They will be debated and discussed during Climate Week NYC, which kicks off on Monday, Sept. 20, around the question of how nations can reach a deal to limit global warming by 1.5 C—a crucial issue in the run-up to COP26. Learn more…
Jobs. Bloomberg is hiring a climate editor. The Washington Post is hiring a national climate reporter. Grist is recruiting an editor at large. WBUR is seeking an assistant managing editor of climate and environment. Georgia Public Radio is looking for an environmental reporter.
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
If you have any feedback on this newsletter, or know of information that should be included here, shoot us a note at editors@coveringclimatenow.org.
