Project
A Poisoned Community
Lead abatement efforts remain ineffective in Oakland's Latino community.
Report Charts a Course for Ocean Reporting
The ocean is a vital yet hugely overlooked part of environmental reporting, known to be expensive, time-consuming, and often dangerous; a “niche” topic that needs special expertise.
Since 2023, the Pulitzer Center has been seeking to change this dynamic by building the capacity of reporters and newsrooms to cover ocean issues through fellowships and grants, alongside education programs and audience engagement.
To guide our work, we have produced Making Waves, a report that reflects on the current landscape of ocean journalism and explores opportunities for better storytelling.
With researchers Bianca Fermiano and Paula Goerg of the Areja Institute, we have identified a vicious cycle. The media needs more funds, training, and support to pursue ocean stories; while media consumers need to show more interest, knowledge, and engagement to justify the investment of resources.
Key findings, based on expert interviews, media surveys, and keyword mapping, show that the biggest needs cited by journalists to report more on this topic are:
- Funding
- Greater ocean literacy
- Collaboration with other journalists
- Better access to sources
The three ingredients for a strong ocean story are:
- In-depth, scientific accuracy
- Diverse perspectives and underrepresented voices
- Powerful visuals
One in four survey participants could not name a prominent outlet for its consistent coverage of ocean stories, while nine out of 10 journalists say the coverage of ocean news in their region is insufficient.
Despite the ocean’s importance to planetary health, media coverage often lacks depth and fails to maintain public interest and awareness. Coverage tends to be reactive rather than proactive, with spikes around specific events, but little sustained attention.
The report names the journalists and outlets that are doing good work; examines successful stories and topics; recommends how to engage with different topics, audiences, and regions; and identifies the biggest threats to the ocean and the impacts that are being seen.
We want to share this report with journalists, newsrooms, and ocean practitioners in the hope that it will lead to more—and better—ocean storytelling. This in turn will drive greater public awareness, and hopefully drive action to protect this beautiful, bountiful, and biodiverse ecosystem.
Best,
Impact
Following the publication of A Poisoned Community, a Pulitzer Center StoryReach U.S. Fellowship project, officials in Oakland, California, have committed to addressing lead contamination in city schools, dipping into a $5 million settlement fund.
The investigation, led by StoryReach Fellow Jasmine Aguilera for El Tímpano, revealed that millions from a 2019 lead paint settlement have gone unspent, despite serious risks of lead exposure in local housing, water, and schools.
Read the full investigation here.
Photo of the Week
This message first appeared in the November 8, 2024, edition of the Pulitzer Center's weekly newsletter. Subscribe today.
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