Beyond hot takes: Reporting on a warming planet

Things have been heating up — literally — since Sabrina Shankman, our latest podcast guest, began covering climate change a decade ago. The scientific community has presented indisputable evidence that climate change is the result of carbon emissions from human activity. News organizations have committed more resources to covering the complex topic. And climate deniers and the misinformation they spread have evolved along with the conversation.

Shankman, who covers climate change at The Boston Globe, addresses these topics and more in this podcast episode.

The science proving climate change is real has been around for decades, but it’s taken society and the news media a while to catch up. But with wildfires, flooding, and other extreme weather events on the rise, the climate crisis has come knocking on our doors.

“When I was first a climate change reporter, I was covering the Arctic because it was a way to tell the story of climate change in the place where it was happening. Now, I can tell the story in Boston because it’s happening in Boston, it’s happening everywhere.”

But as with any global issue that impacts economies, governments and society, misinformation and disinformation are part of the story. Getting reliable information from credible sources is key.

“You need to be interrogating the information that you’re receiving. You have to say, ‘Okay, well maybe this information seems valid, but it’s coming with a perspective. What are some other perspectives?’”

Listen in to find out why climate change isn’t just a big story, it’s the story.

Additional reading:

• ‘Nothing like this has ever happened before’: The world’s oceans are at record-high temps, The Boston Globe, Sabrina Shankman
• Mass Die-Off of Puffins Raises More Fears About Arctic’s Warming Climate, Inside Climate News, Sabrina Shankman
• Fumes in South Portland, Inside Climate News, Sabrina Shankman

Is that a fact? is a production of the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit building a national movement to create a more news-literate America. Our host is Darragh Worland, our producer is Mike Webb, our editor is Timothy Kramer, and our theme music is by Eryn Busch.

Teaser photo credit: Bleached Staghorn coral in the Great Barrier Reef. By Matt Kieffer – https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattkieffer/4117345237/in/photolist-DrRKwz-5EVuTk-TxaLau-2iNmvVr-FJ4T3y-U1iy92-bvAVZN-7gQthZ-UDFPWW-7qLU1m-FPXkzd-EWZPCM-FJ5JTq-dufkmC-du9Jdz-EWNGrW-FSf1v4-FPXsGE-FLoCAX-FJ5GbG-FSfanT-FLo4k8-FSfupk-FSfgsD-FLnVjZ-EWZ9yK-Fs8wLC-FSfjM4-YyoEx8-GPHsdi-YyoFEZ-JgpAW2-YyoJF8-VeVuh8-Yu9uAm-XkeA4G-Xke7rs-TAm1Ao-XHVaVk-VeVwDn-Xkes79-Sq8nTz-XS6qaj-VbmXYL-XWadxi-Xkeb2d-XS6ABb-XHUFDk-XkedSU-XFbv9Q, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112728179