Last Updated on October 4, 2022
This year-long programme (through September 2023) will bring together five newsrooms in the U.S. to work individually and collectively to transform their coverage of the changing climate throughout their organizations.
This transformational change will be grounded in just transition, which prioritizes equity in responses to address the climate crisis, and will be focused on deep engagement with the communities the newsrooms cover and serve. These newsrooms will serve as models for how other news organizations can permanently transform their coverage of the climate crisis. To achieve this goal, each newsroom will choose a Climate Fellow to take part in the Solutions Journalism Network Train-the-Trainers programme (ToT). These five fellows will each create a climate solutions journalism training module that can be used to spread the practice of solutions journalism in covering our changing climate.
Benefits
- The initiative comes with a $20,000 stipend for the newsroom and $5,000 for the Climate Fellows.
In addition to financial support, participating newsrooms will receive the following:
- Support to produce and execute projects focused on community needs and that center equity.
- Coaching and support in tracking institutional change within the newsroom.
- Support and coaching in tracking impact on community to measure the effect the newsrooms’ move from their present state of covering climate to one that is focused on solutions and equity.
- One-on-one coaching with SJN staff.
- Workshops in key issue areas conducted by SJN, Covering Climate Now and Climate Central. Workshops will be guided by the needs of five beacon newsrooms, but may focus on increasing their knowledge of climate science; deepening solutions journalism practices; training in strengths-based narrative training and how to cover climate through an environmental justice lens; revenue, audience impact and measurement training; and data training to inform their projects.
Eligibility
- All U.S.- based newsrooms ready to shift their climate reporting coverage toward rigorous, evidence-based reporting on solutions to the climate crisis are encouraged to apply.
Selection Criteria
- Demonstrated commitment to covering changing climate with a focus on equity and justice.
- Demonstrated service to historically marginalized communities/ newsrooms led by and serving people of color.
- U.S. newsrooms only (including U.S. territories)
- Commitment to shifting permanently the newsrooms’ coverage of climate from unsolvable and apocalyptic to rigorous evidence-based reporting that holds business, government and other stakeholders accountable and catalyzes communities to take action.
Application
For more information, visit Climate Beacon Newsroom Initiative.
Deadline: October 10, 2022