The MIT Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship, supported by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aims to foster high-impact news projects that localize climate change and low-carbon economy narratives. This initiative aligns with a broader mission to engage diverse audiences in climate solutions, particularly in regions where climate change is controversial or underreported, by centering local voices, values, and priorities. The fellowship seeks to counter the current national focus of climate journalism, ensuring that local communities understand the implications and opportunities of a transition to a low-carbon economy.
The target beneficiaries are freelance and staff journalists associated with U.S. local/regional newsrooms. The program intends to equip these journalists to produce well-researched reporting that resonates with local concerns. The overarching impact goal is to increase public engagement with climate solutions and empower audiences to participate in related discussions. This is achieved by providing grants to support ambitious projects that inform and mobilize communities.
The fellowship prioritizes projects that relate climate change and low-carbon economic shifts, especially within food and waste systems, to the audience's existing priorities and values. A key focus is on reporting within the newsroom’s home county(ies) or state, emphasizing lived experience and local perspectives. Projects should be investigative or explanatory, demonstrating a deep understanding of the local audience and concerns, and must secure a commitment from a local/regional news outlet for publication.
Expected outcomes include the production of a longform feature or a series of at least four shorter pieces that open local conversations about climate change solutions. The measurable results would involve the publication of these high-quality journalistic pieces, leading to increased local understanding and engagement. The foundation's strategic priority, and underlying theory of change, is that by localizing climate change impacts and solutions through trusted local messengers, public awareness and participation in climate action will significantly increase, thereby contributing to a more informed and empowered populace regarding climate challenges and opportunities.
