environmental journalism - nyu sydney - week 1 lecture, spring 2014
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Week 1 Lecture: Environmental Journalism, NYU SydneyTRANSCRIPT
Environmental Journalism: Week 1
Fran MolloyFeb 5, 2014
Welcome
• Welcome to NYU Sydney
• Rollcall
• Name tags – please use these for
first few weeks
• Are you an Editor / Researcher?
Moving into teams
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Introduction
• Fran Molloy
• Cell: 0412 485 677
• Background
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Your teacher
Environmental Journalismin context
• What is environmental journalism about?
• the natural world
(animals; plants; oceans, rivers, mountains, forests)
• how humans affect the natural world
(habitat destruction; logging, mining, building)
• how human activity rebounds on our lifestyle and health
(pollution; toxicity; food scarcity; climate change)
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Environmental Journalism in context
• How does the environment get represented in media?
• Perception of environment as political: Pro-economy = anti-environment
• Science losing its neutral / objective stance
• Role of religion and ideology
• Ignored (hippy, irrelevant, anti-business)
• Whose media is it?
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Environmental Journalism in context
• Mainstream Media: Right v Left
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Environmental Journalism in context
• What’s the future for environment and media?
• Crisis becoming apparent –
• The ‘earth beat’ becoming critical
• Climate change dominating other issues
• Internet has shifted media power
• Media no longer one-way
• Media must react to audience
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Environmental Journalism in context
• Today’s Media – according to The Guardian
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Environmental Journalism in context
• What’s your media? Where do you get your news?
• Newspaper
• TV
• Internet
• Saturday Night Live
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Environmental Journalism in context
• What kind of world do we live in today?
• 7 billion people in 2012
• Most live in cities
• Most live in peace
• For most: no competition for resources
• Historic and geographical anomaly
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Environmental Journalism in context
• Celebrity Activism
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Environmental Journalism in context
• “We are mining the ecological time of other eras”
- George Monbiot
• Peace - caused by a lasting surplus of energy
• Extracting fossil fuels = mining sequestered energy
• In our lifetime – three commodities will diminish• Liquid fuels• Fresh Water • Food
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Environmental Journalism in context
What role do writers, journalists play?
• Engage readers
• Research, learn – never assume
• Share … inform without lecturing
• ‘Speak truth to power’
• Make a difference
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Environmental Journalism in context
BREAK
Who are you?
Your First Journalism Exercise
• Interview your classmate
• Write a short (one page) profile
• Introduce your classmate to us
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Profile your classmates
1) Name; preferred name; stats (gender, age, origin, class status)
2) What course are you doing, what year, what other subjects?
3) What's your pre-College background? Where are you from?
4) What is your journalism experience? Have you been published?
5) What is your environmental studies experience?
6) Dog, Cat, Neither, Other? Introvert, Extrovert, Serial Killer?
7) Democrat, Republican, Communist, Anarchist, Other?
8) Evolution, 7 Days, Intelligent Design, Rainbow Serpent, Other?
9) House on Fire: Your one thing?
10) One thing .. that tells us a little about you .. but that not many people know …
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Profile your classmates
Before the weekend:
Turn today’s interview into a short (200-300 word) profile of your classmate
Log into NYU Classes, Env Journ
Go to FORUMS – Post under ‘Week 1 Student Profile’
Post – New Thread; Title – [Classmates name], by [Your name]
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Write your profile & upload
BLOG
• I will send you an email inviting you to our blog
• http://ozonenyu.wordpress.com/
• Before next Wed: follow instructions –
(in NYU Classes, Resources)
• Log on and create your profile. Add a photo or avatar.
• Use your classmate’s bio of you (you get final editing approval!)
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BLOG
• You will upload at least two blog posts this semester – one
followig media monitoring exercise and one following topic
• Students who would like extra writing and publishing opportunities
– you are encouraged to write up guest speaker visits, field trips
or other relevant experiences and post on our blog
• Please add a photo – but make sure you don’t breach copyright
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BLOG
• How do I get images without infringing COPYRIGHT?
• Image sources:
• FlickR
• Advanced Search – check license
• Labelled for reuse
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BLOG
NYU Classes
• TRIAL of Lessons
• ‘Lessons’ tool in NYU Classes – guides you through readings
• We will trial for Week 2 and discuss in class
• Feedback quiz will follow
most weeks’ classes
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NYU Classes
NEWS ANALYSIS
• Analysis exercise
• Take your newspaper – what is it?
• (Tabloid, ‘serious,’ national, local? Equivalent to?)
• Find an environment story
• What is the story? How has this been reported?
• How important are environment issues, in this paper?
• How many stories? What’s the angle?
• Discuss with your team member
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News Analysis
News – paper?
• What role do newspapers play in our conversation about the
environment?
• Can you have a conversation in a newspaper?
• Local stories, global issues;
Do you have an example?
• What do we need from our next / new media?
(web, tablet, Google Specs and beyond)
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News Analysis
Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Most weeks – we will start with our media presenter
• Pechu Kecha – Twenty slides, twenty seconds per slide
• Two presenters: Decide how to divide work
• eg one person – Australian environment news
one person – international environment news
• 10% of your mark – includes blog post
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Syllabus Review
Seminar
• From Week 3 – 10 weeks
• Seminar presenter/s – summarise readings and new findings
• Topic discussion based on *C* Compulsory and
*O* Optional readings
• Choose a current feature article related to
your topic – circulate to class
• Also includes a blog post – 25 % of your mark
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Syllabus Review
Typical class – From week 3 – 14
• [NOTE: 3 in-class field trips]
• 6:40 minute summary: the news this week
• Next: Our seminar presenter/s
• Topic discussion based on *C* Compulsory and
*O* Optional readings
• Followed by journalism practice – short lecture
• Writing exercise OR view media OR activity
• Some classes will include a guest speaker
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Next week: History of the environment movement
• We also look at ‘News Values’ – what makes news?
• I will present environment news, Pechu Kecha style
• Guest speaker (at end of class): Alex Tibbitts
• Select your seminar topic in class
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 3: Urban sprawl – Man v Wild
• We also look at: how to write like a journalist
• Week 4: Feral Invaders – Weeds and Worse
• We get ready for our Week 4 & 5 Field Trips
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 4A: FRIDAY
FIELD TRIP TO Towra Point & Botany Bay
• Environment issues: catchment, water scarcity,
oil refinery, mining, development
• This is a good topic for your
NEWS STORY due week 7
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 5: FIELD TRIP TO WOLLI CREEK
• Fascinating urban corridor, remnant “wild”
• Environment issues: pollution, encroachment,
policy
• Water catchment issues / local govt co-operation
• This is a good topic for your
NEWS STORY due week 7
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 6 – Air pollution (huge issue in China now)
• Plus: the Carbon Cycle – what does it mean?
• News story due Week 6 – on FRIDAY
• We will do a final in-class workshop before
• SEMESTER BREAK!!!
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 7 – Field Trip – NSW Parliament (Walk)
Fascinating – great chance to meet NSW Senator
• Week 8: CLIMATE CHANGE – the BIG ISSUE
• plus interviewing
• FIRST PITCH DUE Week 8
• Guest speaker: Simon Bradshaw – Al Gore Trainee
• Week 9: Energy – Fossil v Renewable
• SECOND PITCH DUE TODAY
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 10: Oceans, reefs, rising sea, whales
• Guest Speaker: Michelle Mossfield, Sea Shepherd
• Working on our leads for the feature
• Week 11 – Rivers and Water Wars
• Plus we learn how to structure a feature
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 12: Food Futures: What’s the future of food?
• Can we feed the world?
• YOUR FIRST DRAFT DUE TODAY – Wk 12
• Week 13: Population / Overconsumption
• PLUS – you get your draft back – time to reflect
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Syllabus Review
What lies ahead?
• Week 14: Last presentation day
• – Solutions – How can we save the planet?
• Week 14: Your final assignment –
reflective statement - due today
• Those who want to publish:
we will send your assignments out into the world, from class
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Syllabus Review
Before Week 2
Before Week 2
• Think about your topic preferences.
• I will allocate in class so we can negotiate
• If you really really want a particular topic,
email me persuasively
• (They are all good topics!)
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Next Week
Before Week 2
• Join the blog – accept your invitation, set up your profile
• Access the readings and prepare for next week’s class, have a read for next week
• (Go through the Lessons tool on NYU Classes)
• Complete the feedback form for Week one
– under Tests and Quizzes
• PLEASE post your classmate’s profile on our forum
– in NYU Classes
• You can use the profile written about you on our blog
or write a new one for yourself from scratch
• Get ready to meet Alex Tibbitts,
Wilderness Society
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Next Week
End of Week 1