As a field that requires certain scientific and technical knowledge, climate coverage often poses a particular challenge: how to engage the topic in a way that is up to the challenge, without alienating novices?
For Hannah Fairfield, it comes down to the power of visuals to draw readers into the story. “When we’ve done stories about the impact of climate change on cultural and natural sites , we’ve combined more technical information with really beautiful photography from Yellowstone National Park or Lebanon . That visual storytelling element can really bank data be a way to engage a variety of audiences.”
Source: Josh Haner – New York Times
Another tactic is to contextualize climate differently, by connecting it to more practical topics… like food. Last year, a collaboration between the paper’s Climate and Food sections produced an “explainer” article to answer the most pressing questions about the links between food and climate change . “That article had a lot of complex information and data, but we presented it and formatted it in a very accessible way. So it was very successful and our readers found it quite useful.”
Source: New York Times
The newspaper also ran " crash course " articles to inform its readers about the basics of climate change.
Following requests from readers, the newspaper launched a section dedicated to concrete actions in its Climate newsletter, Climate Fwd: . “The newsletter is a space for us to communicate with our readers. I think it’s important to get the message across that their actions are important. It sort of bridges the gap between journalists and our readers. The newsletter is also a good gateway for an audience that doesn’t necessarily have very advanced technical knowledge, but is still very active and interested in our content.”
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wandering links.