CCNow Executive Director
Covering Climate Now (CCNow), in conjunction with Columbia Journalism Review, is inviting entries from journalists around the world and across newsroom beats to submit their work for its second annual Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards.
According to Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of Columbia Journalism Review and a co-founder of Covering Climate Now, the goal of the Awards is to celebrate excellent journalism that shows us all how to cover a story that is increasingly shaping the future.
In 2021 the awards honoured exemplary coverage by the Guardian, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Rolling Stone, ProPublica, The Nation, CNN, and more in a special programme streamed on NBC News NOW and hosted by NBC News correspondents, Al Roker and Savannah Sellers. Almost 600 entries were submitted including works from 38 countries.
The winning entries centered on science-based reporting, powerful stories of human impact, the inequities of climate change impacts, and the urgency of holding power to account.
“Confronted with a global cascade of record-breaking wildfires, storms, and flooding in 2021, media coverage of the climate emergency is finally getting louder,” said Mark Hertsgaard, the co-founder and executive director of Covering Climate Now. “The next step is to treat climate change as a story for every beat in the newsroom, from politics and business to real estate and sports, and we hope journalists who are leading the way will enter this year’s awards.”
There is no entry fee, and news outlets are not required to be Covering Climate Now partners to participate.
Based on the scope and prominence of climate journalism growing, the organisers have included several new categories in this year’s Awards including the Industry Innovation Award to celebrate an extraordinary leadership initiative to improve the quality, reach and impact of climate coverage; a Social Media and Engagement Award that will recognise the role of digital platforms in reaching audiences; and a Student Journalist Award that will honour a student journalist at the university level whose work shows exceptional promise.
Entries should be made online at the awards submissions page which will be open until March 1, 2022. Works submitted must have been published, broadcast, or otherwise released during the 2021 calendar year. Journalists (including freelancers), newsrooms, and journalism schools from anywhere on Earth are invited to enter.
For enquiries about the entry process, please check FAQs or contact awards@coveringclimatenow.org.
