Global music star Jon Batiste sympathizes with the growing number of people avoiding the news these days, but he has an antidote: Talk about climate solutions and “bring people together. People power is the way that you can change things in the world.”
Forty percent of the world’s people practice “news avoidance,” according to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s “Digital News Report 2025.” Traditional news coverage’s focus on conflict and suffering, along with its portrayal of politicians as the sole arbiters of events, leaves people feeling depressed and powerless, survey respondents said, causing many to tune out.
During the newsmaker interview CCNow organized last week for the next phase of The 89 Percent Project, Batiste was asked if his new song about climate change, “Petrichor,” can make a social impact, given that many people now shun news about topics as weighty as climate change. “I don’t want to hear about the problem if you don’t have an answer,” Batiste said, adding that his song “is not just saying [climate change] is a problem, it’s also saying we can solve it.”
The same spirit animates The 89 Percent Project. Launched in April, the project’s initial reporting highlighted the fact that 80 to 89% of the world’s people want their governments to take stronger climate action. However, most of those people don’t realize that they are the overwhelming majority — and therefore they don’t act, vote, or speak out.
The next phase of The 89 Percent Project explores the people behind the numbers: Who are they? Where do they live, what do they do, are they surprised they’re the majority, and what kinds of climate policies do they wish to see implemented?
Some CCNow partners have already begun this reporting. The Guardian posted a story soliciting readers’ written responses to such questions (anonymously, if so desired). In Brazil, Agência Pública conducted person-on-the-street interviews, gauging their support for climate action. And Japan’s The Asahi Shimbun took a hybrid approach, studying the findings of public opinion polls and then checking them against the paper’s own interviews.
The goal of this phase of The 89 Percent Project is to present a vivid, factually grounded portrait of the global climate majority in all its diversity and potential. With news avoidance at an all-time high, this kind of reporting — featuring the names, faces, and sentiments of the overwhelming majority of the public — makes good commercial as well as journalistic sense.
Journalists interested in participating can learn more at CCNow’s Talking Shop webinar. Panelists from The Guardian, Agência Pública, and The Asahi Shimbun will explain their reporting processes and findings, and all journalists in attendance can share their ideas for how to make this phase of The 89 Percent Project a success.
From Us
CCNow Academy. Climate change is the defining story of our time, and journalists everywhere need the tools to cover with depth, accuracy, and impact. That’s why CCNow is offering worldwide journalists a free, live, online training program designed to support them in telling stronger climate stories across beats and borders. Apply by September 8.
Nuevo lanzamiento. Llega Radar Clima, un boletín quincenal en español para periodistas de todas las áreas que quieran dar más fuerza y rigor a su cobertura sobre cambio climático y fenómenos extremos. En cada edición encontrarás consejos prácticos, recursos, voces expertas e ideas de historias para conectar mejor con tus audiencias en América Latina, Estados Unidos y España. Suscríbete gratis a Radar Clima y compártelo con tus colegas.
Como parte del lanzamiento de Radar Clima, únete el miércoles, 10 de septiembre a las 12 pm ET a nuestro webinar para aprender más de la cobertura de huracanes antes, durante y después de las tormentas, con consejos prácticos y un enfoque humano. RSVP aquí.
The 89 Percent Project
‘Pluralistic ignorance.’ A new study finds that political leaders’ vastly underestimate public support for climate action and the misperception is “limiting the ambition and scope of green policies.” By Andy Deng for The Guardian…
Learn more about The 89 Percent Project, and get involved.
Quote of the Week
“This is a new level of idiocracy, where the Trump administration is trying to destroy an entire sector of clean energy, kill thousands of good paying jobs, and drive up electricity prices for American consumers.”
– Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), told NPR in response to the Trump administration announcement that it will cancel $679 million in federal funding for ports to support the country’s offshore wind industry on Sunday.
Noteworthy Stories
Deforestation impacts. A new study finds that deforestation has caused rainfall in the Amazon to drop 75% over the past few decades. By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey for The New York Times…
Punjab floods. More than 900,000 people and 600,000 farm animals have been forced to evacuate Pakistan’s most populous province due to catastrophic flooding. “This is not only a physical disaster but a mental health crisis,” says Shan-e-Zainab, a Karachi-based clinical psychologist and mental health trainer. By Vania Ali in Shigar for The Guardian…
Oil bargain. On Monday, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, and India’s Narendra Modi met in Tianjin, China, in a show of solidarity in opposition to US sanctions on Russia and high tariffs on China and India. Russia announced a deal with China to build the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, “a huge gas project that could reshape global energy flows,” and increase supplies of oil to India. By Osmond Chia for the BBC…
‘Mockery of science.’ Over 85 scientists “have compiled a withering review of a controversial Trump administration report that downplays the risks of the climate crisis, finding that the document is biased, riddled with errors and fails basic scientific credibility.” By Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor for The Guardian…
Wind jammer. Two-thirds of Iowa’s electricity is generated by wind turbines. The state also has some of the lowest power bills in the nation. President Trump’s war on wind power is not only battering the industry, it’s also threatening the re-election of GOP representatives like Iowa Republican Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who voted to end incentives for wind projects. By Josh Siegel for Politico…
Resources
Attribution study. Climate change made hot, dry, and windy weather that fueled the deadly wildfires in Spain and Portugal 40 times more likely, according to a new report from World Weather Attribution. Read the press release.
One-stop shop. Track private-led investments and jobs in US clean energy manufacturing and deployment, and related public statements by members of Congress, with The Clean Economy Tracker, developed by Atlas Public Policy and Utah State University.
Reporting tool. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools are changing the way we can monitor the ocean. The Pulitzer Center is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, September 9, at 12pm US Eastern Time, for investigative journalists, environmental reporters, and data enthusiasts looking to deepen their reporting using OSINT. Learn more.
Jobs & Fellowships
The BBC is looking for a director of news documentaries and long form journalism (London, UK). Colorado Public Radio is looking for an executive producer for its audio projects (Denver, Colo.). Floodlight is hiring an investigative reporter to cover Louisiana. CNN Digital is hiring a climate and weather editor (five locations, US). Mongabay is looking for an investigative researcher and reporter and an investigations editor (remote).