Climate change in my community

Heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and flooding, changes to agriculture, health effects on animals and humans; these are just a few of the many ways the climate crisis is showing up on a local, national, and world stage.

SRL would like to know: what does climate change look like in your community?

Questions to consider:

• What impact is the climate crisis having on your community, and how is it being addressed, or not addressed?
• What is your school doing about the climate crisis? What are your local communities and local or state governments doing?
• Are there any major investments in your community that may help combat climate change, or things that are contributing to the warming?
• Are there any big debates in your local community or local government related to the climate crisis?
• Has your community experienced extreme weather or a natural disaster recently? What happened and what's been taking place in the aftermath?
• What are young leaders, inventors, citizen scientists in your area doing to measure and address climate impacts?

Three tips for the kinds of stories SRL is interested in publishing:

• Think local: Climate change is global, but SRL wants local angles. What does it look like in your town—wildfires, flooding, heat, drought, or something else? Report from where you live and tell a story about the people around you.
• Focus on youth and solutions: Young people are leading the charge, like Greta Thunberg from Sweden who made headline worldwide with her sit down protest demanding world leaders take immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. Highlight their actions and use a solutions journalism approach to show what’s being done. Explore guides like Covering Climate Now and this Latin America SoJo example.

• Profile (2-4 min. long): A profile is the story of one person. It has voiceover (VO), b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person. Here’s an example of a profile.
• Explainer (2-4 min. long): A video explaining a concept. Often it includes a host/narrator speaking directly to the camera. The tone could be serious, funny, or informative. Here’s an example of an explainer.
• News package (3-5 min. long): Video stories about newsworthy issues and topics. A news package has factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, multiple interviews soundbites, b-roll footage. It may also include things like infographics, a reporter standup, nats (natural sound from filming b-roll). Here’s an example of a news package.
• NAT package (2-4 min. long): A video story guided by the natural sound from interviews and the environment where you’re filming. Natural sound, commonly known as “NAT sound,” puts the viewer in the place the story was told by enhancing the scene(s) with video containing rich audio such as a musician singing at a train station, a storm approaching, or the sound of a tractor plowing the field. This kind of story would often not have a voiceover narration. Here’s an example of a nat package.
• Climate PSA: Create a Public Service Announcement that calls attention to a specific environmental issue. Include at least 3 key facts and a solution. Use dynamic visuals: live protest footage, graphics, or bold text. Be inspired by how youth around the world are speaking out through media. Check out how young climate reporters around the world are creating media content to address our urgent climate change issues.

“Climate change does not respect borders; it does not respect who you are – rich and poor, small and big.” — United Nations

• Teens are reimagining food waster through Compostology
• Resources For Covering Prompt Topics

See below for more student produced examples.

We have a rolling deadline to accept climate stories. Please use our pitch form to submit your story idea. Review these tips about how to pitch. If your pitch is accepted SRL staff may be able to support the production of your story.

If you produce a climate/environment story on your own or with your school, be sure to tag us when you publish it!