Source: Why do science and health reporters lack background in their subject? – Social Panic

The underlying story has significant logical issues including asserting the weird weather is not climate change immediately followed by saying it is due to climate change. There’s more problems.

Their climate reporter has degrees in public relations/advertising (aka propaganda) and journalism and has journalism experience covering politics. Now she reports on climate … and in this news “story” demonstrates she is out of her league.

She’s trying to do a good job and I think, from reviewing some past work, her reporting skills are generally good – but – the problem and the point is that most reporters lack formal training in the subjects on which they report, and oftentimes, a deep understanding of those subjects requires more than some interviews and self-study. This would help them avoid the errors found in the above “story”.

Second, when many of us write about areas outside our official expertise, we are called out for it – but reporters are not. Why is that?

Reminder – this is a personal blog, not a for profit entity of “experts”.

UPDATE: By comparison, here is a reporter who has both education and experience in the field she reports on – this is what we need more of in journalism!