{"id":111553,"date":"2021-03-05T10:41:20","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T05:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vskills.in\/certification\/tutorial\/?page_id=111553"},"modified":"2024-04-12T14:31:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T09:01:31","slug":"environmental-reporting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vskills.in\/certification\/tutorial\/environmental-reporting\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental Reporting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are increasing opportunities for journalists who can, along with their writing and reporting skills, also offer specialized knowledge. Additional expertise makes a reporter more valuable to a radio or TV news organization, and that translates into higher salaries and jobs in larger markets. This chapter explores some of the specialties that are particularly attractive to radio and TV news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The growing concern for the environment in the past decade has encouraged broadcast news managers to allocate more news to the subject. In many newsrooms, the environment is still covered by general-assignment reporters, but more and more news managers are hiring broadcast journalists who have become familiar with environmental problems. Knowledge of the subject can be acquired in college but reporters often gain their expertise simply by taking the time to learn about the complex issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are numerous periodicals dealing with every aspect of the environment, and reporters intent on learning about environ- mental issues should spend many hours in the library or should subscribe to the publications. A wide variety of environmental seminars also are offered throughout the country by private and government groups. The Environmental Health Center issues a newsletter. \u201cGreen wire\u201d is a news service offering stories about the environment, and the Society of Environmental journalists provides help and resources for journalists trying to improve their knowledge of environmental issues. The Radio and Television News Directors Association frequently discusses the environment at national and regional meetings. There also are helpful computer data bases, such as the Toxic Release Inventory, which stores information on 366 toxic chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CNN Correspondent Debra Potter, who covers environmental stories, believes no beat is more important. She says \u201cbroadcasters owe it to their audiences to cover the subject because it touches viewers and listeners where they live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potter says communities throughout the nation are wrestling with environmental issues such as waste disposal and water quality. She notes polls show that Americans believe that the environment is one of the five most important issues facing the nation. She stresses that environmental reporters who know and understand the issues-who know where to look and which questions to ask- get a jump ahead on environmental stories. She also notes that environmental issues are difficult to explain and that environmental reporters must act responsibly \u201cby not raising false hopes or unfounded fears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Engelmann of Scripps-Howard newspaper says that covering the environment is like covering any other complicated important issue. He advises following these steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n