2020 Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists

2020 Themes: Extreme weather; sea level rise; aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; infectious diseases and public health; and Infrastructure

Fourteen journalists are back on their beats after Metcalf Institute’s first virtual Annual Science Workshop for Journalists, June 8-19, 2020. The Institute developed an innovative web-based program for the 22nd workshop in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines. The fellows represented a broad range of small and large news organizations in the U.S. and around the globe including Australia, Colombia and Nigeria.

“While the pandemic motivated us to adapt our internationally recognized science immersion model, it has also provided a unique opportunity to engage additional international fellows,” said Sunshine Menezes, Metcalf Institute executive director. “News consumers want substantive reporting on climate change that digs deeply into the consequences and solutions, and this is exactly what Metcalf Institute training delivers, whether it’s online or in-person.”

Fellows heard from leading scientists, policymakers, and communicators who are working to project the impacts of climate change, identify adaptation measures, and investigate the most effective ways to communicate these challenges. Workshop topics were carefully selected to offer widespread relevance through local, regional, and national examples from across the U.S.

The 2020 Workshop Fellows learned about climate change impacts, policy, and adaptation measures from national experts and gained skills to interpret and translate complex scientific data into compelling, informative stories about the environmental challenges we face. Workshop topics were designed to help journalists understand the processes and methods of science and to provide insights into the cutting edge of climate change research.

The following journalists were part of the 2020 Metcalf Fellowship cohort: