Journalism
The practice of communicating information to the public by reporting news, telling stories and analyzing events. Journalists use articles, video and more to inform, educate, and keep people up to date on what’s happening in the world.
What would you do?
- Investigate stories by visiting locations and observing events firsthand
- Conduct interviews with scientists, activists and policymakers
- Write articles, produce videos and create multimedia content
- Fact-check data and edit articles for accuracy
- Collaborate with organizations to raise awareness about innovation
To fight climate change, journalists…
Raise awareness of climate issues
- Report on extreme weather, wildfires and rising seas to highlight climate impacts
- Cover renewable energy, electric vehicles and sustainable practices
- Investigate corporate emissions and environmental violations
- Share stories of local and global climate activism
Influence policy
- Explain how new laws or regulations affect carbon emissions
- Highlight gaps in government or corporate environmental accountability
- Provide evidence-based reporting that supports climate legislation
Promote sustainable practices
- Advise advocacy groups on climate policy messaging
- Study why people resist behavior change or climate policies
- Assess the psychological effects of climate policies and public initiatives
Support climate science communication
- Translate complex research into clear writing for the public
- Work with scientists to report climate data accurately
- Produce multimedia content on carbon reduction and climate solutions
Relationship to climate change
Journalism is key to informing the public and policymakers about climate change and driving action toward sustainability and emission reductions.
Use journalism for these Project Drawdown solutions:
- Abandoned Farmland
- Advanced Biofuels
- Agrivoltaics
- Agroforestry
- Airplane Contrails
- Alternative Refrigerants
- Annual Cropping
- Aquaculture
- Aviation Efficiency
- Bio Blocks
- More solutions →
Get started
A great fit if you’re interested in writing, storytelling, data, problem solving and breaking down information.
Recommended classes
High school: English (H, AP Language & Composition, AP Literature), Journalism / Newspaper, Environmental Science (H, APES), Biology (H, AP), Chemistry (H, AP), Computer Science / Digital Media (helpful for multimedia reporting), AP Seminar, AP Research
College: Journalism / Communications, Multimedia Reporting / Digital Storytelling, Data Journalism / Statistics, Science Writing, Environmental Science or Studies, Climate Policy or Sustainability
Project ideas
- Write a series of articles or blog posts about local climate issues like flooding, pollution or energy use
- Interview environmental scientists or activists for a podcast or video series
- Track and report on a local sustainability initiative, like a recycling program or solar project
- Turn environmental data (temperature, air or water quality) into an infographic or article
- Investigate a company’s carbon footprint and share findings in a newsletter or digital story
More resources
- Reporters, Correspondents and Broadcast News Analysts (BLS)
- NYT Climate and Environment
- Best Practices for Climate Journalism
- Stanford Sustainability News
- Good and bad climate journalism with Denise Hruby
Written by Ryan Saket, Palo Alto High School (2027)
