The Science Library: Covering the Environment

Well before Al Gore and his documentary, the environment was the radar of specialized journalists. Covering this subject means developing an understanding of much more than climate change and often requires journalists to deal with interpretation of scientific claims.

The environment is back as an issue of interest and journalists considering carving out this niche should consider the following acquisitions for their libraries. Like any science-related beat, the environment warrants some background reading and a variety of good references are available.

Books:

Well before Al Gore and his documentary, the environment was the radar of specialized journalists. Covering this subject means developing an understanding of much more than climate change and often requires journalists to deal with interpretation of scientific claims.

The environment is back as an issue of interest and journalists considering carving out this niche should consider the following acquisitions for their libraries. Like any science-related beat, the environment warrants some background reading and a variety of good references are available.

Books:

Old but free:
A good reference for journalists was developed in 1993 by renowned Canadian environmental journalist Michael Keating for the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE). Covering the Environment: A Handbook on Environmental Journalism is available free as a pdf download in the internet here.

Although it is getting a bit dated, the book provides a journalist new to the beat with a quick overview of the field. Considering a lot of the media backlash against the recent conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that has muddied the debate, the handbook is also interesting to review again from a historical perspective.

http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/publications/covering-environment-journalism/covering-environment-journalism-eng.PDF

New & not free:
A more recent handbook was published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates in December 2007 and is available in paperback. Covering the Environment:  How Journalists Work the Green Beat is written by American environmental journalist Robert L. Wyss.

http://www.routledgemedia.com/books/Covering-the-Environment-isbn9780805857696

Website:
Covering The Planet:
Environmentalism In A Media World
http://www.mediachannel.org/atissue/environment/