Publication Items

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.

A prize-winning feature from the frontlines of the Amazon rainforest drew accolades in the Society of Environmental Journalists’ most recent awards contest. Judges said the “deeply reported account explains history and present-day politics through the lens of people whose voices are rarely heard in U.S. media.” Bloomberg investigative reporter Jessica Brice shares insights from the joint project, in the latest Inside Story Q&A.

The complicated interplay between climate change and trauma, poorly understood and little covered, is holding back the response by individuals and communities to the realities of the climate crisis, argues the head of a network of mental health and other organizations. Here’s what he has found when it comes to how climate-generated anguish is blocking climate solutions and what can be done about it.