Panel Discussion Asks: “Are Environmental Journalists Becoming an Endangered Species?”

Is there really a danger of the media not covering environmental news?This Thursday, the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars will host a panel discussion about the future of environmental journalism. According to a press release, “Even as interest in environmental issues skyrockets, the reporters who cover these topics are being laid off left and right.”

The claim that reporters who cover environmental news are being laid off in huge amounts does not ring true to me personally, even though I have no evidence. Currently the mainstream media, along with a multitude of sites across the internet, seem to be giving more attention to environmental and scientific issues than I can ever recall in the past.

One thing I am curious to hear the panel discuss: why do they think environmental and science reporters are so much more expendable than other types of writers in the eyes of the people who manage media organizations?

If you are interested, the discussion will will be broadcast live on the internet this Thursday, February 12th at 10:00 A.M. EST. It will include 3 or 4 notable speakers, with current or past experience working for news organizations like CNN, National Public Radio (NPR), and the Associated Press. You can find more information about the event by clicking here.

Photo Credit: randomduck on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

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