An iceberg off the coast of Ilulissat Greenland, part of reporting done by the climate desk.
Ryan Kellman/NPR
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Ryan Kellman/NPR
An iceberg off the coast of Ilulissat Greenland, part of reporting done by the climate desk.
Ryan Kellman/NPR
Sept. 14, 2022; Washington, D.C. — Beginning October 1st NPR will launch a new climate desk that will harness the strengths of existing national and international coverage and build greater local coverage capacity across the network. The climate desk will be led by Andrea Kissack, the current head of NPR’s science desk, and senior supervising editor Vikki Valentine will step into the role of Acting Head of the science desk.
“Climate might be the most important story of our time and we need a dedicated team of journalists to cover it and work across desks in our newsroom and with our international bureaus,” said NPR’s SVP of News and Editorial Director Nancy Barnes. “The new climate desk will collaborate with Member stations to do ambitious work that builds on their deep local expertise.”
“No story touches as many people as climate change. Heat waves, mega-droughts and unprecedented floods are all becoming more intense and frequent. Climate related weather disasters are upending the way people live from China to California, from Pakistan to Florida. These extreme events have caused a global food crisis, the rise of new diseases and the displacement of millions of people,” added Kissack. “With the NPR newsroom and Member stations, we’ll strive to do stories that shape the national conversation on climate change.”
Neela Banerjee, Deputy Climate editor will join Kissack, along with four climate journalists from the science desk. The new Supervising Editor of the station Energy and Environment collaborative will join this desk as well. NPR will coordinate training for station and network journalists, and convene an annual national symposium on climate change for public media, as well as scientists, industry, policy makers and community advocates.
NPR’s climate expansion has also been made possible by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, whose funding is helping NPR to add a new Climate Solutions reporter, as well as The Rockefeller Foundation, whose support will allow for more local and regional reporting on how climate change affects the most vulnerable populations.
About NPR
NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), and now it’s easy to listen to our stories on smart speaker devices. Ask your smart speaker to, “Play NPR,” and you’ll be tuned into your local Member station’s live stream. Your speaker can also access NPR podcasts, NPR One, NPR News Now, and the Visual Newscast is available for screened speakers. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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Isabel Lara
