The document proposes expanding an existing environmental journalism program through a collaboration between the Columbia School of Journalism and the Center for Environment, Economy, and Society. The expanded program would include: 1) Three journalism fellowships providing tuition and stipends for study and an intensive journalistic project. 2) Two environmental journalism institutes per year, one in the Dominican Republic and one in New York, attended by 15-20 journalists and fellows. Experts would address current issues. 3) A budget of $527,500 is requested to fund staff time, travel, lodging, stipends and fellowship costs for the expanded multi-year program.

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A Joint Proposal of
The School of Journalism and
The Center for Environment, Economy, and Society
Environmental Journalism Fellows Program
Background
For the past five years, the Center for Environment, Economy, and Society at Columbia University and
the Columbia School of Journalism has organized an annual Institute on Environmental Journalism: a
weeklong, intensive workshop for editors and journalists that provides scientific and economic
background and tools to interpret and report on sometimes-conflicting information about leading
environmental issues. Through lectures, discussions, and workshops, the Institute presents the latest
information available on critical topics, and models for how one might report on environmental change
and the economic and business consequences of various environmental issues.
The Need for Journalistic Training in Environmental Science and Economics
We are living through important and far-reaching changes in humanity’s relationship with the natural
world. These changes are well-documented, and reflect the effects of rising population and urbanization
on demand for natural resources. We are already seeing the effects of the leading edge of that demand:
forests are disappearing at a rate of 10-15 million hectares a year; 60% of all coral reefs have been
damaged or destroyed by human activities; we have completed the warmest decade in recorded
weather history during which glaciers receded, sea levels rose, and animal and plant species changed
their ranges; surface and ground water has retreated worldwide and cannot keep up with our
agricultural demands; diseases have jumped from other species to our own at unprecedented rates, and
the costs of all of these effects run into the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
The steps we take in this century will depend on an informed public sector, private sector, and citizenry.
The journalistic media—whether in print or electronic form-- will play a major role in informing these
sectors and therefore have a special responsibility to investigate, analyze, and report in a balanced way
the environmental challenges we face, the choices we will have to make and the implications of those
choices for the health and economic well-being of the public.
The CEES Approach
CEES brings a particular perspective to these problems, seeking to bridge the world of business and
science through applied research and educational initiatives. Traditionally, conservation of the natural
environment has been seen to be in conflict with the pursuit of economic growth, but we are now
realizing that conservation is frequently economically beneficial. One compelling and constructive
paradigm views ecosystems as assets -- natural capital stocks -- that provide a flow of services. Ranking
alongside built, human, and intellectual capital, natural capital is one of the drivers of economic activity
and sources of economic value.
This paradigm leads to an approach to environmental conservation that emphasizes the economic value
generated by the environment. The use of economic incentives and market forces can capture some of
the value of the environment for those who conserve it, providing a return on their conservation
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2. investment. Such approaches are also often more efficient and logistically easier, as well as more
politically palatable to those induced to conserve.
Unfortunately, any move in this direction brings us up against an acute lack of experience and
documentation in this area, and also against a basic conceptual issue: when are market-based approaches
successful and when are they not? When can we safely leave conservation to the marketplace and when
would this be irresponsible?
Applied research at CEES works to enhance our understanding of these important issues, and to
bridge the divide between science and business, and academia and the policy world, by seeking
opportunities to apply the ideas from its research to contemporary policy questions.
Our Education initiatives aim not simply to increase public environmental literacy but to replace widely
perceived dichotomies with an innovative and essentially positive view--backed by our applied research--
that solutions exist to mutually support economic, environmental and social well-being.
CSJ Leadership in journalistic training and Environmental Journalism
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History of the CEES Institute on Environmental Journalism
The popular media, be it print, radio, television, or online, are essential to the process of disseminating
information about environmental issues and their relationship to health, economy, and business. For
this reason, it is extremely important that journalists receive the clearest and most accurate information
they possibly can from scientists, economists, and those familiar with business practices and market
cycles. To this end, in 2004 CEES developed--in conjunction with The New York Times Co. Foundation,
the Nurture Nature Foundation, and the Columbia School of Journalism--an Institute for Environmental
Journalism. The 5-day Institute devotes mornings to presenting the latest science and environmental
economics, and afternoons to reporters’ workshops, in which journalists work to effectively translate
the science into stories that will grab the public’s attention.
The Institute has just completed its 5th
year, reaching over 90 journalists from key media outlets
including The NY Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post, LA Times, National Geographic, Scientific
American, CNBC, NPR, ABC, and others.
Experts providing lectures to the journalists have come from such noted institutions as Columbia
University, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Wildlife Trust, Wildlife Conservation Society, American
Museum of Natural History, The New York Botanical Garden, Pew Institute for Ocean Science,
Resources for the Future, and Duke University.
Our participants report significant benefits they’ve taken from the Institute:
• Unparalleled access to top experts in science, economics and business, who can serve as
sources after the Institute
• A deep understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental degradation, local
impacts and global trends
• Opportunities to network with journalists from a range of media outlets
• Reporting workshops on how to interpret and translate expert findings
• Leads on emerging themes for new stories, and fresh perspectives on “well-worn” topics
• A time- and cost-effective way to gain essential training and an edge in increasingly competitive
media markets

3. • An onsite view of a booming tourist location attempting to balance environmental, social and
business goals, with visits to local sites of interest led by the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation
A Joining of Like Minds: the CSJ/CEES Collaboration
For over 5 years, CSJ Assistant Dean Arlene Morgan has worked with CEES to develop and grow the
NYTIE into an impressive program with demonstrated benefits. This year, the NYTCoF closed its doors
bringing funding for the Institute to an end. In discussing the future of the Institute, the CSJ and CEES
recognized an opportunity to substantially expand its reach and vision by integrating a new Fellows
component and adding another Institute during the summer held at Stonybrook Southampton.
The Fellows component would be modeled on an innovative Fellowship program begun in 2008 by the
CSJ, focused on Education journalism. This model combines the attributes of two different types of
fellowship awards: the granting of tuition and stipend for academic study during the academic year, and a
grant in the style of the McArthur Genius grant to pursue a particular project of the fellow’s choice.
With the successful completion of the first fellowship year, CSJ has become an advocate of this hybrid
structure, as it provides both in-depth exposure to academic theory and literature, and practical
application through the creation of a highly-visible journalistic product
A newly conceived and enlarged Environmental Journalism program would integrate the best of the
fellowship and workshop programs, including the following components:
1. Fellowship to cover tuition and stipend for a year of study for 3 selected Fellows
2. Directive to each fellow to complete an intensive journalistic project to be completed within 6
months of fellowship year
3. Two Institutes on Environmental Journalism
a. One in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic in the winter
b. One in Southampton, NY in the summer
c. At the institutes, fellows present their projects and progress
d. 15-20 journalists attend each institute
e. Scientists, Economists and Professionals address current environmental issues
Request for Funds
Our original funding has come to an end; thus we seek a grant to replace this funding and assure the
future continuation of the Institute, which has been highly successful, both in terms of participant
satisfaction and the high quality of reporting from journalists who’ve graduated from our program.
Funding is needed to cover staff and speaker travel, as well as lodging and facilities costs. We provide
stipends for participant travel to the Punta Cana location. We have confirmed the continuation of in-
kind donations from the host of the Institute, the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation in Punta Cana,
Dominican Republic.
Summary Budget Full Program:
CEES Assistant Director (20% yearly salary & fringe) $24,000
CEES Administrative Assistant (20% yearly salary & fringe) $18,000
CSJ Assoc Dean (5% yearly salary & fringe) $8,000
CSJ Advisor (5% yearly salary & fringe) $6,000
Recruitment and Advertising $20,000
Meeting Space, Activities and Supplies Punta Cana $12,000
Meeting Space, Activities and Supplies Southampton $12,000

4. Faculty and staff travel to Punta Cana (10/yr) $15,000
Faculty and staff travel to Southampton (10/yr) $7,500
Lodging and Meals in Punta Cana (30 ppl for 5 days) $25,000*
Lodging and Meals in Southampton (30 ppl for 5 days) $15,000
Travel stipends for participants to Punta Cana (20/year) $20,000
Travel stipends for participants Southampton (20/year $15,000
Fellowship: Tuition for 3 fellows $150,000
Fellowship: Stipend for 3 fellows $120,000
Fellowship Project funding for 3 fellows $60,000
TOTAL $527,500
*
With in-kind donations this could be as low as $12,500. Includes room, meals, and meeting
breaks