Columbia University’s program in Earth & Environmental Science Journalism

1. Columbia University’sprogram in Earth & Environmental Science Journalism Kim Kastens (kastens@ldeo.columbia.edu) Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Presentation to SommerUSAademie 2005 Wissenschaftsjournalismus 6 September 2005

2. Columbia University’sprogram in Earth & Environmental Science Journalism Dual masters degree program for Columbia students Environmental journalists of color project, in collaboration with Society of Environmental Journalists

3. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Goal: …. to train journalists who have both the scientific background and the communications skills to inform the public about discoveries, processes, insights, and controversies about the Earth and environment, in a manner that is simultaneously interesting and accurate. (Clue: articulate what you are trying to accomplish.)

4. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Co-sponsored by: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory The Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences The Columbia Graduate School of Journalism (Clue: work with excellent partners.)

5. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Co-directed by: Kim Kastens (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory) Marguerite Holloway (Graduate School of Journalism) (Clue: tap multiple expertises)

6. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Prerequisites: undergraduate background in science and demonstrated writing ability Course of study: 2 semesters of coursework in Earth & environmental science anchored by “Case Studies in E&ESJ” science masters research project 2 semesters of coursework and practical training in journalism journalism masters project Result: • MA in Earth & Environmental Sciences plus MS in Journalism (Clue: Be tough. Set high standards)

7. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program What we look for in applicants: • Writing ability, via J-school writing test. • Basic science prerequisites, one college year with grade of B or better in 4 out of 5 of: Geosciences, Biological Sciences Math, Physics, Chemistry • Commitment to communicating across interface between science and society. worked at nature center, national park, science teacher undergraduate double major: science and language student journalism • Avoid science wannabes • Interesting interview; they ask us questions (Clue: Put a lot of energy into admissions process. )

8. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Case Studies in Earth & Environmental Science Journalism • read articles written for a technical audience about an issue, discovery or controversy • read articles written for a popular audience on the same topic • interview a scientist who worked on the topic • from this primary material, construct understanding of journalistic strategies and devices • 2004-2005: Sumatran tsunami, Teaching Creationism in public schools, Coral bleaching, Arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh, Marine mammals & sonars, California energy crisis, etc.

9. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program What is a science research project doing in a journalism education program, anyway?

10. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Some of the learning objectives for the E&ESJ science research project: • Students will experience the process of finding a research question which is (a) unanswered, but (b) answerable. • Students will master skills or techniques of a subdiscipline of earth or environmental science, thus gaining an appreciation of research as a craft. • Students will generate original data about the Earth or Environment, thus gaining some understanding of the ambiguities and complexities inherent in real data. • Students will generate logically-defensible interpretations from their data, and thus strengthen their ability to build a chain of logic from observation to interpretation, and from cause to effect. • Students will experience the state of mind that comes with total immersion in research, and thus come to recognize science as a creative endeavor. • Students will become a member of an active research group, and will feel the human dynamics of such a group. • Students will gain confidence in their ability to hold their own in the community of scientists.

11. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program

12. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Columbia Graduate School of Journalism component Environmental Reporting Advanced Reporting & Writing (RWI) Skills of the Journalist Masters' Project Critical issues in journalism Journalism, the law and society Science Reporting and Writing Media Workshop Master's Project Journalism Elective

13. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Where do the graduates work? Science-oriented publications Scientific American, Geotimes, Discover Environment-oriented publications On Earth, Audubon Mainstream Media Houston Chronicle, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Albuquerque Journal, Albany Times-Union freelance out of journalism environmental consulting

15. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Exemplary work: “In Harm’s Way” by Dina Cappiello, 1999 E&ESJ graduate, in Houston Chronicle, 2005

16. Environmental advocacy Law, policy General reporting Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program Environmental Reporting Science

17. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program UC Santa Cruz mid-career (MBL, Metcalfe) PhD or MD journalism Columbia E&ESJ work [science] Undergraduate [non-science]

18. Columbia E&ESJ Masters Program • What I have learned about the overlapping values of scientists and journalists: • curiosity • skepticism • ability to self-educate without a teacher • comfortable out of mainstream of society • search for truth

19. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project Goals: • To increase the quality, accuracy and visibility of environmental journalism in media reaching people of color. • To increase knowledge of, and interest in, the Earth and environment among minorities underrepresented in the Geoscience workforce.* ______ * Funded by National Science Foundation, Opportunities for the Enhancement of Diversity in the Geosciences program (2001-2005)

20. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project Hurricane Katrina victims were disproportionately African-American. • because African-Americans in New Orleans are more likely to live in poverty, and lack cars • because African-Americans were less well-informed about natural hazards and environmental risks??? Hurricane Katrina victims, NY Times website

21. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project Did the warnings in the press miss them? If so, what could journalists, journalism organizations, or media organizations do?

22. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project • Collaboration between Columbia/E&ESJ and: Society of Environmental Journalists National Association of Black Journalists Native American Journalists Association National Hispanic Journalists Association

23. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project • Fellowships for minority journalists to attend SEJ meetings • Co-organized sessions and field trips on environmental topics at NABJ, NAJA, and NAHJ meetings • Environmental category in journalism awards programs of minority journalism organizations Brenda Box of WTOP-AM radio, Washington DC, ran a conference mini-tour on the Bayou Savage National Wildlife Refuge at the 2003 SEJ New Orleans conference.

24. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project

25. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project But maybe not as knowledgeable: In a survey of 808 undergraduates enrolled in an introductory environmental literacy course, Battles (2003) found 38% of African-American/Blacks vs 51% of Caucasians/Whites agreed with the statement “in general, I had a good understanding of environmental issues before I took this course,” African-Americans are as concerned about environmental issues as European-Americans (Mohai, 2003).

26. E&ESJ GeoDiversity Project • SEJ Minority Fellows tell us: • Editors consider the environment a “suburban” or “white” beat and don’t tend to assign journalists of color to cover environmental stories. • Editors think minority readers/viewers aren’t interested in environmental topics. • They work on tight deadlines without the time for investigations that environmental stories require. • They write for publications with small staffs, environment beat is rare, science beat unknown. • “Miami’s Hispanic community…live in an information desert with respect to the environmental problems that affect their neighborhoods” (Swafford, 1996).

27. For further information: Earth & Environmental Science Journalism program: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/eesj/ Diversity in Environmental Journalism program: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/eesj/sejweb/