The Poynter Institute's NewsU, the #1 site in the world for journalism "e-learning," is featuring a Seminar Snapshot of the News Executives Roundtable. The NewsU Course on Covering Climate Change features a 40-minute video snapshot of the September 2007 seminar for top news editors, co-organized by Metcalf Institute and the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Building on our previous Science Communication and the News Media Workshops, Metcalf Institute partnered with the Society of Environmental Journalists in September 2007 to co-organize a one day workshop for eighteen top news executives. Leading climate scientists and economists presented the latest research on climate change science, biological and economic impacts, and potential solutions, in an engaging program that gave some of journalism's "gatekeepers" a crash course in one of the most important issues facing us today. The roundtable was sponsored by The Energy Foundation, the Heinz Family Philanthropies, Stanford University's Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Yale University Project on Climate Change.

8:00-8:05 am
Welcome
Barton (Buzz) Thompson, Jr., Woods Institute for the Environment

8:05-8:15 am
Introduction to Roundtable and Attendees
Bud Ward, Morris A. Ward, Inc.

8:15-8:45 am
What the Public "Knows"
Jon Krosnick, Stanford University

8:45-9:15 am
What the World's Glaciers are Telling Us About Climate Change
Lonnie Thompson, Ohio State University

9:15-9:45 am
How Do Scientists Know Human Activities are Influencing the Global Climate?
Ben Santer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

9:45-10:15 am
What Plants, Animals Are Telling Us About Ecosystems and Climate Change
Terry Root, Stanford University

10:45-11:15 am
Where the Science Leads Us and a Scientist's Perspective on the News Media
Steve Schneider, Stanford University

11:15-12 pm
Editors' Take: What Editors ... and Their Media ... Need
David Boardman, Seattle Times, and Len Downie, The Washington Post, Facilitators

12:00-1:15 pm
Lunch

1:15-1:45 pm
Energy Policy & Energy Efficiency: Addressing Our Energy Challenges
Jim Sweeney, Precourt Institute for Energy Efficiency

1:45-2:15 pm
Climate Change, Public Health and Economic Issues
Michael Greenstone, MIT

2:30-3:00 pm
Making Climate Protection Profitable
Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute

3:00-3:30 pm
Climate Protection: Difficult, Costly, Necessary
Ken Caldeira, Stanford University

3:30-4:00 pm
On Editors' Minds ... Covering Climate Change in a Changing Media Climate

4:00 pm
Adjourn.

PROGRAM ORGANIZERS
Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting
Society of Environmental Journalists

PROGRAM HOST
Stanford University

PROGRAM SPONSORS
The Energy Foundation
Heinz Family Philanthropies
Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University
Yale Project on Climate Change, Yale University