Kicking off the first of this year's @greentempleton lectures. Today's speaker is @wblau, co-founder of our Oxford Climate Journalism Network, who will speak about journalism and climate change
📺 Watch
🧶 Highlights in the thread below
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
📺 Watch
🧶 Highlights in the thread below
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
📰 On journalism
"There’s a tendency in journalists to think that a solution to every problem that has ever existed is more journalism. But news organisations have created climate desks and then realised they haven’t had the intended impact," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"There’s a tendency in journalists to think that a solution to every problem that has ever existed is more journalism. But news organisations have created climate desks and then realised they haven’t had the intended impact," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
📚 On wording
"Should we call it climate change or climate crisis? This problem is so vast and unprecedented in scope that we struggle even with what to call it," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Should we call it climate change or climate crisis? This problem is so vast and unprecedented in scope that we struggle even with what to call it," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🤷♂️ On overcoming indifference
"Denial and avoidance are coping mechanisms and won't be overcome in one go with one tell-all documentary or an heroic memo from the editor but with precision, empathy and a degree of passion," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Denial and avoidance are coping mechanisms and won't be overcome in one go with one tell-all documentary or an heroic memo from the editor but with precision, empathy and a degree of passion," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
📊 On a frightening datapoint
"According to a survey from 2020, 53% of young Europeans agree with the idea that authoritarian states are better equipped than democracies to tackle the climate crisis. That should frighten us all," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"According to a survey from 2020, 53% of young Europeans agree with the idea that authoritarian states are better equipped than democracies to tackle the climate crisis. That should frighten us all," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
👩🏾🏫 On a key obstacle
"Climate reporters can't succeed in a news organisation if their colleagues lack basic knowledge of the facts about climate change. Start with the science, not with politics," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Climate reporters can't succeed in a news organisation if their colleagues lack basic knowledge of the facts about climate change. Start with the science, not with politics," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🧩 On quizzes and audience surveys
"News organisations should survey their audiences on their knowledge of climate change. We've seen examples of this at @FT @washingtonpost @WBUR and others," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"News organisations should survey their audiences on their knowledge of climate change. We've seen examples of this at @FT @washingtonpost @WBUR and others," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🏢 On the role of newsrooms
"There is not just one right newsroom structure to better cover climate change. But any structure requires support from the leadership of the news organisation," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"There is not just one right newsroom structure to better cover climate change. But any structure requires support from the leadership of the news organisation," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
📈 On the problem with metrics and climate journalism
"Impact metrics are expensive and look at what’s happened after you read the article. Have you bought a book about that news topic? Have you changed your behaviour?" says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Impact metrics are expensive and look at what’s happened after you read the article. Have you bought a book about that news topic? Have you changed your behaviour?" says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
👩🔬 On access to scientists
"Journalists have told me it's difficult to reach climate scientists for their stories. But scientists are worried about being misrepresented in the news media" says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Journalists have told me it's difficult to reach climate scientists for their stories. But scientists are worried about being misrepresented in the news media" says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🙈 On culture
"Climate reporting requires breaking silos and working across desks. We've seen this during the pandemic but with climate journalism it's a bit more difficult," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Climate reporting requires breaking silos and working across desks. We've seen this during the pandemic but with climate journalism it's a bit more difficult," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
👍 On solutions journalism
"About 80% of the climate journalists I asked about solutions journalism said this approach would be to sugarcoat the realities of climate change or to be un-journalistic. And yet audiences think otherwise," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"About 80% of the climate journalists I asked about solutions journalism said this approach would be to sugarcoat the realities of climate change or to be un-journalistic. And yet audiences think otherwise," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🕰 On journalism's time scope
"Is journalism focus on the present compatible with the climate crisis? We are forced to describe measures that reach decades into the future. Covering climate change introduces uncertainty and speculation," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Is journalism focus on the present compatible with the climate crisis? We are forced to describe measures that reach decades into the future. Covering climate change introduces uncertainty and speculation," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
⚖️ On false balance
"In 2019 a large-scale academic analysis of thousands of news articles proved how often journalism has misrepresented the amount of agreement there is about the human causes of climate change," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"In 2019 a large-scale academic analysis of thousands of news articles proved how often journalism has misrepresented the amount of agreement there is about the human causes of climate change," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🗞 On news value criteria
"Climate change is not a single event. It often lacks recency and personalisation. The criteria which news editors use to make decisions about coverage are not well aligned with climate change," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Climate change is not a single event. It often lacks recency and personalisation. The criteria which news editors use to make decisions about coverage are not well aligned with climate change," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
🌳 On how to frame climate journalism
"If you are a newsroom manager, frame climate journalism in the newsroom not as a chore or as something boring but as a career opportunity because it is," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"If you are a newsroom manager, frame climate journalism in the newsroom not as a chore or as something boring but as a career opportunity because it is," says @wblau
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Asked by @arusbridger about the impact of foundations and advertisers on climate journalism, @wblau says: "CEOs need to become societal actors because we are running out of time. As for foundations, news organisations should be transparent about funding" twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Thank you for following @wblau lecture. We'll be back next Thursday with the second of this year's @greentempleton lectures by award-winning Indian journalist @BDUTT. She'll speak about her coverage of the pandemic
📅 Thursday 10 February
🕠 17:30 🇬🇧
📅 Thursday 10 February
🕠 17:30 🇬🇧
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