News.com.au, in partnership with the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas and the Australian Science Media Centre, has launched a new a content series focusing on the impacts of climate change on Australia’s way of life.
The Murdoch-owned news site is known for its more conservative views when it comes to climate change, often-times denying its existence altogether, which makes the new content series particularly intriguing.
In a press release, news.com.au said the series created in collaboration with scientists, looks at how climate change will affect the average Australian’s way of life, debunks the myths around climate change and bushfires, and looks at what people can do to make a difference.
News.com.au editor-in-chief Kate de Brito said: “If there was any positive to emerge from the tragic bushfires of summer it was seeing how much Australians cared about each other and their country including the many species of animals and plants lost to the fires. Climate change is a divisive topic but what brought Australians together was not discussions about carbon credits, rather their shared love of this great country and a new focus on creating a more sustainable future.
“We began working with the Australian Science Media Centre in early December and we are grateful to them and the Judith Nielson Institute for Journalism and Ideas for their support in accessing the skills and knowledge of scientists and researchers who work in this area.”
Australian Science Media Centre chief executive Dr Susannah Eliott said it was delighted to be working with News.
“Issues such as climate change and extreme weather are vitally important to Australia and it’s critical that we get clear and accurate information from our media outlets. Bringing scientists and journalists together to work collaboratively on these important topics will help all Australians get the information they need.”
Judith Neilson Institute executive director Mark Ryan said: “The big and most important issues are by their nature complex. They’re difficult to explain to a general readership in ways that are both compelling and grounded in facts.
“Putting more scientists in newsrooms can help journalists better inform their readers with evidence-based reporting. Ultimately, the aim is to build a broad base of shared knowledge across our community and this initiative is a small step towards that goal.”
Launching today, the Time is Now series will roll out over the next week on news.com.au through editorial, interactive graphics, video and social content.
