DEADLINE: Covering Climate Collaborative

Local Media Association invites local news organizations to apply to join the Covering Climate Collaborative. Journalists will focus on key climate-related issues in their region, collaborating on local coverage and exchanging content with reporting teams in other regions of the country. Selected newsrooms will gain access to climate data and analysis and climate training from partners; collaborate to develop new revenue streams to support climate coverage, and be eligible to receive funding help to cover climate reporting costs.

Application criteria include: Demonstrated commitment to covering climate-related issues at the regional level; clear vision for the regional climate issues to be covered and how reporting would impact the problem and the community served; a plan that includes and engages the local community; a coverage approach that reflects the diversity of the community and the diverse impacts of climate change in areas including health, housing and social justice.

The Covering Climate Collective seeks to build regional collaboratives that leverage the strengths of different types of news organizations, from print and digital to radio/audio and video/broadcast. Applicants should identify their platform strengths and, in cases where a broadcaster/publisher operates in more than one community, prioritize which markets match best and why for this collaboration.

LMA is pleased to collaborate on this climate initiative with experts in climate science and climate journalism, including Climate Matters in the Newsroom, a National Science Foundation-funded local climate reporting resources program produced by George Mason University, Climate Central, and Climate Communication, in association with NOAA, NASA, and journalism professional societies, including the Society of Environmental Journalists. These organizations bring invaluable training, data and expertise to participating newsrooms, including the opportunity to enroll in the Climate Reporting Master Class. This climate collaborative is committed to reporting on not only the problems caused by climate change, but also deeply and rigorously reporting on solutions to those problems. LMA is proud to be partnering with the Solutions Journalism Network on this project, enabling participating newsrooms to be trained in the solutions approach.

Local newsrooms with a commitment to covering climate are invited to apply to join the collaborative here. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2021.