Not only did the huge legal settlement in the Dominion Voting Systems libel suit against Fox Corp. help reinforce media libel protections set out decades ago in New York Times v. Sullivan. It also served as a reminder for environmental journalists that the “actual malice” standard is a bulwark for their own (often negative) reporting on big corporations. WatchDog Opinion explains.
A climate modeling service designed for journalists may help them not only survive a hot summer but to cover it better too. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox takes a look at the Climate Shift Index, developed by Climate Central, designed to isolate what part of the heat is due to climate change, pinpointing days and places, and providing useful maps.
"After residents of America’s “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana put a national spotlight on their fight for a healthy environment, the state’s economic interests and petrochemical giants are backing the creation of a new “sustainability council” to counter grassroots activists, documents show."
"The US beef industry is creating an army of influencers and citizen activists to help amplify a message that will be key to its future success: that you shouldn’t be too worried about the growing attention around the environmental impacts of its production."
"In October 2021, Google promised to stop placing ads alongside content that denied the existence and causes of climate change, so that purveyors of the false claims could no longer make money on its platforms, including YouTube."
"Big business is bucking Biden’s efforts to use SEC rules and the purchasing power of the U.S. government to reveal and reduce climate emissions".
"These 12 books capture the wonder, tell the history, and predict the climate-changed future of the trees with which we share the planet."
With the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 32nd annual conference in Boise now behind us, humorist David Helvarg offers a sharp-witted, albeit affectionate, skewering of the five-day gathering, everything from the host state’s politics to the innumerable sessions and the final blowout party. Prepare for punnage. Plus, check out the evolving multimedia coverage of the event, and watch for session audio recordings to come.
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