| ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM | | | | ears, in India and all around the world. Many people |
| | | | are simply not interested; society tends to assume |
| WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM | | | | that things like land, trees, plants, animals, and water |
| Environmental journalism is the collection, verification, | | | | resources - the resources they depend upon for their |
| production, distribution and exhibition of information | | | | livelihoods - will always be there. Overuse or abuse of |
| regarding current events, trends, issues and people | | | | resources is not, most of the times, an important |
| that are associated with the non-human world with | | | | issue. But catching audiences’ attention is not the |
| which humans necessarily interact. To be an | | | | only hard thing environmental journalists have to face. |
| environmental journalist, one must have an | | | | Writing about the environment as a core issue for |
| understanding of scientific language and practice, | | | | society sets numerous challenges for journalists. |
| knowledge of historical environmental events, the | | | | These are:- |
| ability to keep abreast of environmental policy | | | | 1. Lack of environmental and scientific training. |
| decisions and the work of environmental | | | | Reporters without specialized training might ignore |
| organizations, a general understanding of current | | | | complicated environmental stories altogether or, if |
| environmental concerns, and the ability to | | | | they attempt them, the results might be less than |
| communicate all of that information to the public in | | | | satisfactory for readers. |
| such a way that it can be easily understood, despite | | | | 2. Limited access to governmental data on |
| its complexity. Global Environmental Journalism | | | | environmental conservation. |
| Initiative | | | | 3. The existence of forest mafias threatens their |
| GEJI, the Global Environmental Journalism Initiative, is | | | | professional activities as well as their private lives. |
| a project started in 2008 by four Australian and five | | | | 4. Wildlife journalists have to balance the incongruity |
| European universities that are leaders in journalism | | | | that comes as a produce of the short attention span |
| education in their countries. | | | | that is affecting news consumers in a society that |
| It involves | | | | unfolds around consumerism combined with the fact |
| - International collaboration in the teaching and | | | | that environmental stories are frequently complex |
| learning of journalism about environmental | | | | and difficult to report. |
| sustainability | | | | 5. Citizens’ experiences of many environmental |
| - Students working together locally and globally to | | | | issues are mediated, in large part, by the interests of |
| produce journalism about environmental sustainability | | | | governmental agencies as well as the private sector |
| - The building of an international archive of research | | | | (big corporations). These two spheres continually |
| materials and reports on global environmental | | | | influence the media's presentation of environmental |
| journalism | | | | issues putting at stake public perceptions. |
| Background | | | | 6. In recent years, it seems as though media interest |
| While the practice of nature writing has a rich history | | | | in the environment has taken a backseat to other |
| that dates back at least as far as the exploration | | | | issues impacting the international scenario. Wildlife |
| narratives of Christopher Columbus, and follows | | | | journalists have to deal with the priority of other |
| tradition up through prominent nature writers like | | | | subjects such as terrorism, poverty, economy, |
| Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in | | | | politics, and international relations. |
| the late 19th century, John Burroughs and John Muir | | | | 7. Journalists have to face the lack of training, |
| in the early 20th century, and Aldo Leopold in the | | | | resources or support from news editorials or |
| 1940s, the field of environmental journalism did not | | | | sponsors. |
| begin to take shape until the 1960s and 1970s. | | | | The recognition of these challenges and a solution to |
| The growth of environmental journalism as a | | | | them will impact the creation of a collective dialogue |
| profession roughly parallels that of the environmental | | | | and deliberation on environmental issues that are of |
| movement, which became a mainstream cultural | | | | broad public concern. Environmental journalism falls |
| movement with the publication of Rachel | | | | within the scope of environmental communication, |
| Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 and was further | | | | and its roots can be traced to nature writing. One |
| legitimized by the passage of the Wilderness Act in | | | | key controversy in environmental journalism is a |
| 1964. Grassroots environmental organizations made a | | | | continuing disagreement over how to distinguish it |
| booming appearance on the political scene in the | | | | from its allied genres and disciplines. |
| 1960s and 1970s, raising public awareness of what | | | | The field of environmental journalism covers a wide |
| many considered to be the “environmental | | | | variety of topics. According to ‘The |
| crisis,” and working to influence environmental | | | | Reporter’s Environmental Handbook’, |
| policy decisions. The mass media has followed and | | | | environmental journalists perceive water concerns as |
| generated public interest on environmental issues | | | | the most important environmental issue, followed by |
| ever since. | | | | atmospheric air pollution concerns, endocrine |
| The field of environmental journalism was further | | | | disruptors, and waste management issues. The |
| legitimized by the creation of the Society of | | | | journalists surveyed were more likely to prioritize |
| Environmental Journalists in 1990, whose mission | | | | specific, local environmental issues than global |
| “is to advance public understanding of | | | | environmental concerns. |
| environmental issues by improving the quality, | | | | References |
| accuracy, and visibility of environmental | | | | - Ham, Sam. Environmental Interpretation: A Practical |
| reporting.” Today, academic programs are | | | | Guide for People with Big Ideas and Small Budgets. |
| offered at a number of institutions to train budding | | | | - West, Bernadette M., M. Jane Lewis, Michael R. |
| journalists in the rigors, complexity and sheer breadth | | | | Greenburg, David B. Sachsman, and Renée M. |
| of environmental journalism. | | | | Rogers. The Reporter’s Environmental Handbook. |
| Challenges | | | | · Blum, Deborah, Robin Marantz Henig, and Mary |
| Environmental journalists are expected to be | | | | Knudson. A Field Guide for Science Writers: The |
| advocates for changes to improve the quality of the | | | | Official Guide of the National Association of Science |
| planet. They should educate people about the serious | | | | Writers. |
| state of the environment and use the power of the | | | | - Chapman, Graham, Keval Kumar, Caroline Fraser, |
| news media to bring about changes to improve the | | | | and Ivor Gaber. Environmentalism and the Mass |
| quality of the air, water, wildlife and natural resources. | | | | Media.. |
| Trying to convince people about the importance of | | | | . |
| protecting the environment sometimes falls on deaf | | | | |