Niche climate news sites and the changing context of covering catastrophe

One of the most significant and understudied changes in climate journalism in recent years, and the focus us this study, is the establishment of new niche sites. These sites, which are dedicated exclusively to covering climate-related issues, are now some of the most important sources of climate information. Drawing on interviews with site founders and editors, we explore the experiences and knowledge of these climate journalism innovators to glean their perspective on the state of climate coverage in general and changes to the field, including an emerging interplay between climate journalism and other actors in the broader information environment. Our conversations suggest that in response to changing circumstances-including heightened urgency due to the physical realities of the climate catastrophe and the hybridity of the media environment-journalists are reshaping how climate news is being produced as well as blurring institutional boundaries between journalism, science, and advocacy. In doing so, we argue, they are forging a path toward stronger public interest journalism.