Pulitzer Center Update August 24, 2026
Our Ocean Journalism Has Built a New Reporting ‘Beat’
Three years ago at a literature festival, I was queueing up to get a signed copy of a new book by an ocean scientist. I’ve long admired their work, so when the time came to meet, I was keen to tell them about my new job at the Pulitzer Center.
I introduced myself as an ocean journalist.
“Oh”, they said, surprised. “Is that an actual job now?”
It was a genuinely curious question, but it took me aback. At the time, there were probably only a handful of people who could describe themselves in such a way: journalists who were exclusively focused on the threats facing the largest ecosystem on Earth. From illegal fishing to deep-sea mining, the ocean was emerging as a reporter’s “beat” where, like the Center’s ongoing rainforest initiative, systemic reporting had the potential to bring under-reported issues to public attention and (hopefully) drive real change.
Absolutely, it was a job! If it wasn’t a common term then, it certainly is now. In the three years since our ocean initiative launched, we have awarded 27 fellowships and funded almost 50 grant projects.
We have enabled journalists to report from remote Pacific atolls, the most northerly parts of Canada, beneath the waters of Caribbean, and on vessels in the Antarctic, West Africa, and the Great Barrier Reef. We have worked with outlets big and small—from The New York Times to an Indigenous-run newsroom in West Papua, trying to ensure that stories we support reach the widest audiences possible.
To build capacity to report on this very broad topic, we’ve launched reporting toolkits, hosted training webinars, and shared our expertise at the most significant environmental and journalism conferences from COP to GIJC. Further support from our Engagement team has helped our journalists amplify their stories, engage with their audience, and measure impact.
Hundreds of reporters, editors, and photographers can now legitimately call themselves “ocean journalists.”
Now others have followed suit: Mongabay has a new global Oceans Desk, Inside Climate News launched a dedicated ocean initiative, Earth Journalism Network supports journalists to attend and report on ocean summits—also offering a fellowship—and Covering Climate Now works to help journalists connect ocean to the climate beat.
It seems hard to believe that we are now opening applications for our fourth cohort of ocean Fellows. Since the start, we have sought projects that are not only traditional investigations that hold power to account or follow the money, but also elevate deeper reporting on topics that simply haven’t been covered in detail before. Data remains a focus for us, as do cross-border collaborations and a drive to increase Global South journalism.
Over 12 months—a luxury in journalism—Fellows work on their project with the support of their newsroom. They benefit from the mentorship of a dedicated Ocean Editor, working closely with our Data and Research team and collaboration with their co-Fellows worldwide.
Each year the application numbers get higher and the standard rises. After three years, we know instinctively what makes a good project: It has to be big enough to follow over the course of a year; it has to be feasible within the reporting budget; the support of a good newsroom is essential; and it has to be a story rather than general coverage of a topic from a particular place. We want ambition, innovation, and collaboration.
Applications open on Monday, August 24 and close Sunday, September 13 2026.
We will be hosting an Ask Me Anything webinar on Tuesday, September 1 to answer any questions. Sign up here.
At a time when so many journalism positions are being cut back, creating new beats and roles gives us hope. So let’s keep adding to the numbers of ocean journalists out there.
