Metcalf’s Executive Director Fara Warner and Training Program Coordinator Ethan Brown on a visit to *The Boston Globe* during the first cohort of the Climate Ready Newsrooms fellowship.

Now accepting applications from local newsrooms in New England (deadline: July 31, 2026). Learn more about eligibility and how to apply here.

Built for the challenges of local journalism

At first glance, taking on new responsibilities may seem like another burden for your newsroom. However, this fellowship is designed to spur newsroom-wide system changes that make the jobs of editors and reporters easier in the long run.

With help from Metcalf Institute, each newsroom develops a practical and sustainable goal based on its own needs and bandwidth. Past participants have:

Developed a newsroom-wide protocol document for climate disaster coverage
Built source lists with regional scientists, shared across the team
Expanded climate knowledge beyond a single specialist
Launched projects such as pop-up newsrooms to better understand community needs
Established realistic routines for producing regular solutions-focused coverage

The goal does not have to be large. It should be useful, achievable, and impactful.

“Because we’re such a small staff, having one story every month focused on environmental solutions was a very sustainable and focused step that we were able to realize through this fellowship. A lot of people are doing good in the community, and being able to shine a light on those stories is important for us as community papers.”

Rosegalie Cineus, Reporter at The Cranston Herald

Based at the University of Rhode Island, Metcalf Institute has brought journalists, scientists, and community representatives together since 1998 to strengthen accurate, contextual coverage of climate and environmental issues. Climate Ready Newsrooms builds on that expertise with a tested newsroom-wide training model that combines science training, peer learning, and one-on-one coaching to help local news organizations create lasting change.

Fellowship Benefits:

Interactive Training: Six workshops on Zoom led by University of Rhode Island faculty and regional experts, focused on translating complex climate and environment science into compelling news stories relevant to local communities.
$1000 Stipend: Each participating newsroom will receive a stipend to use to support those in the training or other expenses related to the goals set during the fellowship.
Individualized Coaching: Three months of coaching from Metcalf Institute’s journalism experts, offering guidance to identify gaps in climate and environmental coverage, choose an organization-wide strategic goal, and turn that goal into manageable steps, behaviors, and deadlines.
In-Person Visit: One of the coaching sessions will be an in-person visit, offering the opportunity to dive deeper into a specific topic of interest, socialize your newsroom’s goals across more of your team, or facilitate meaningful discussions.
Peer Learning and Collaboration: Engagement with nine other New England newsrooms in the cohort during Zoom workshops. Newsrooms will also have the option of joining Metcalf’s new Climate Ready Newsroom collaborative, where newsrooms across all three cohorts will partner on a joint regional reporting project with support from Metcalf Institute and URI’s Community News Lab.