The document discusses environmental reporting in campus press. It defines environmental communication as a vehicle for understanding humanity's relationship with nature through both its instrumental function of educating and mobilizing, and its constitutive function of shaping perceptions. When writing about environmental risks, reporters can describe individual actions, industry/government actions, benefits and alternatives, and how people can get involved. Top tips include keeping an open mind, avoiding jargon, tying stories to people and places, reporting solutions, and going beyond environmental groups for perspectives. Reporters should avoid sensationalism and distinguish weather from climate change when reporting.

1. Melvin C. Gascon Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press OSSEI National Training-Workshop on Campus Journalism 15-17 September 2011, Baguio City Environmental Reporting In the Campus Press

2. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press What is an ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION ?

3. What is an environmental communication? Pragmatic and constitutive vehicle for our understanding of the environment as well as relationship to the natural world. The instrumental function of educating, alerting, persuading, mobilizing, solving etc. By constitutive he means the creative function of helping to shape our perception of nature, environmental issues and ourselves. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

4. In writing about environment risks that people take, you can: Describe what individuals can do to reduce their exposure. Describe what industry and government are/are not doing to reduce the risk. Describe the benefits as well as the risks to the specific audience. Describe the alternatives and their risks. Describe what people can do to get involved in the decision-making process. Provide information that will help the audience to evaluate the risk. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

5. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press Top 10 TIPS Reporting the Environment

6. Reporting the Environment Keep your eyes open. Go beyond the environmental groups. Think about different perspectives. Just as business affects millions of lives, so does the environment. Keep it simple. Check out good people to interview. Think about your job as the reporter in the story-telling. Try to get unusual angles. Never use the jargons and waffle loved by officials. Don’t be put off. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press T O P 1 0 T I P S

7. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press How to avoid some reporting pitfalls?

8. Avoiding reporting pitfalls Don’t give in sensationalism. Make a distinction between individual weather events and climate change. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

9. Selling the Story Use different angles. Report on solutions. Tie stories to interesting people, places and topics Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

10. Journalists should report solutions, not just doom and gloom. Use reporting aides. Use different sources. If officials and scientist mistrust you, be persistent. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

11. From a global issue to a local story Local voices Compare global and local causes Check for local environmental change Explain adaptation Follow the money Be a watchdog Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

12. Above all, take heart If covering climate change seems challenging, remember that the media has come a long way in its coverage. Environmental Reporting in the Campus Press

13. One learns to write by writing