New Environmental Journalism Class Open to All Majors

*OPEN TO ALL NON-MAJORS WITH PERMISSION FROM INSTRUCTOR 

Journalism 397E - Environmental Journalism; Global Issues & the Connecticut River Valley 

Course Description:
Climate change, air and water pollution, the end of fossil fuels, habitat shifts and species declines, population growth, and sprawling development: we hear about these environmental issues all the time, but do we understand them? Do Americans grasp how the U.S. contributes to global problems? Do journalists get the bigger picture? Can they help small communities grapple with policy choices?   Can they help us face our choices as individuals? 

This course relates global and national issues to environmental challenges in the Connecticut River Valley, and draws upon and strengthens a variety of reporting skills: interviewing, statistical analysis, feature writing, multimedia, and shoeleather reporting. We start by surveying the big issues and how they are reported in the media. Next, we interview and profile UMASS scientists who are doing environmental research. Finally, we examine local problems, including state parks, “smart growth,” salmon restoration, farming, forest management, and recycling.   Along the way, we make field trips and read examples of excellent eco-journalism.   Our final project will be a multimedia package of print stories, interactive graphics, and audio-slideshows. A lot of the time we will be in the field, so get your boots on!