Climate change effects the work of every reporter. It ranges from politics, to economics, health, science & technique and even to the travel section of the newspaper (climate neutral flying – is it really possible?). But few nuts are harder to crack: How to write about global warming (or dangerous substances – an other heavily discussed subject) without loosing yourself in a political or scientific debate? Mark Schapiro is on the fate-of-the-earth beat for the Center for Investigative Reporting in the US. He talks us through the pitfalls and challenges of modern environmental reporting.
Reporting on the environment means reporting on science. You need to understand complicated scientific evidence. In this workshop Mark Schapiro shows tools and approaches for doing so.
How to determine what constitutes ‘independent’ science vs. industry-funded? Schapiro goes into the significance of these distinctions and what to watch out for in conducting investigations that rely on scientific information. And how to find a compelling narrative through what can be complicated matters of both science… taken by seemingly obtuse bureaucracies. Inside those bureaucracies, really struggles are taking place with great consequence: conflict=drama=the essence of a good story. Finding that thruline that can bring life to a narrative.
He will also suggest good sources of information both in the EU and also in the United States, which offer possibility of doing comparative reporting on issues of consequence both sides of the Atlantic.
Speaker: Mark Schapiro
Moderator: Luuk Sengers
When? Saturday November 22st, 9.00 AM
Where? Erasmushogeschool, Room 3.15
