Can Journalism ‘Postpone the End of the World’?

Environmental Journalists’ Perceptions Amid Climate Crisis, Disinformation, and Audience Disengagement

Abstract

Contemporary environmental journalism faces numerous challenges. An unprecedented climate crisis overlaps with the crisis of the journalism industry, as well as with disinformation, denialism, and audience disengagement. The very ethos of the environmental journalist is called into question, caught between objectivity and engagement in the defense of the environment. In order to investigate the challenges and contributions of environmental journalism to postponing “the end of the world,” this article interviewed 15 environmental journalists from mainstream media outlets and from new journalistic arrangements. Although they reject the label of activists, the interviewees reveal a professional ethos that aligns with the Freirean conception of engagement. All agree that the industry crisis, denialism, and disinformation have added extra layers to their professional roles. To increase audience engagement with environmental coverage, they suggest solutions journalism, which highlights the causes, consequences, and possible pathways out of the environmental crisis.