Climate change + the president’s faith

Audience members question NPR priorities, choices [View this email online]( [NPR Public Editor by Poynter's Kelly McBride]( [Jason Marone cools down a hot spot burning close to homes last week in the Christmas Valley area of Meyers, Calif.]( Jason Marone cools down a hot spot burning close to homes last week in the Christmas Valley area of Meyers, Calif. [Karl Mondon/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images]( Climate change is arguably the crisis that will define this era. News consumers have come to expect sharp and insightful coverage of this complicated topic. We often get questions and critiques of NPR’s coverage. In response to one of those letters, we checked in with a relatively new editor leading NPR’s climate coverage to see what’s changing. Our second topic this week was brought to our attention by a couple of keen listeners who noted a casual reference to President Joe Biden as the “Catholic president” in a newscast item about his response to the Texas abortion law. Is Biden’s Catholic faith relevant to the abortion policies he advocates for? It’s a complicated question that requires journalists to show the audience their justification for mixing church and state. Read on to see what we discovered. Here are a few quotes from the Public Editor's inbox that resonated with us. You can share your questions and concerns with us through the [NPR Contact page](. Covering the climate Joseph Sears writes: Is NPR treating its climate crisis news coverage seriously enough? … The climate crisis now requires everyone’s immediate understanding, which now necessitates that NPR (and all news media) “up their game.” … The ethical issues (inaction v. a livable planet in the future, inaction v. stewardship, etc.) of news editing are so numerous! But, in reality, understanding of the crisis of climate (a life or death matter for us all), and what we may still do about it, must now be a #1 priority for all of NPR. Audience members steadily write to us about the urgency with which NPR and other news organizations need to cover climate change, often echoing your sentiments. In 2020, NPR added an editing position to bring more structure and strategy to climate coverage. We reached out to Supervising Climate Editor Neela Banerjee for some insight. She’s also noticed more audience members caring about climate change and wanting more coverage. “What I would say is we definitely hear you,” she said. For Banerjee, climate coverage is about combining science, data and the human story. Holding leaders accountable is also critical. “I feel like, in this country, accountability has to be at the center of climate reporting, because we have the science, we have the knowledge, we have the resources,” she said. In January of last year, [former Public Editor Elizabeth Jensen spoke]( to Chief Science Editor Andrea Kissack about the position that would become Banerjee’s. Kissack “said the new editor position is a recognition that there is a ‘sense of urgency’ surrounding climate change,” Jensen wrote. Banerjee [officially began the role]( in April 2020. NPR’s main approach to covering climate issues is a collaborative one, Banerjee said. She has a core team of four reporters who produce both radio and digital stories. She also works closely with Jennifer Ludden, energy and environment editor for NPR’s National Desk, who has two reporters. And climate reporting happens throughout the entire newsroom. “Climate extends across so many issues, we all have to be talking,” she said. It pervades every beat, from politics to economics to culture. When major climate reports come out, [like the recent U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report]( or when leaders gather at a [global conference]( Banerjee and the team assign coverage to a reporter or group of reporters. The recent IPCC report informs future coverage, especially with the growing number of weather disasters, she said: “Because of climate change, there’s going to be multiple extreme weather events happening simultaneously in the country. And it could strain the resources of even wealthy, industrialized countries like the United States. And so if you look in the past few weeks, there are these enormous wildfires raging in the West. Hurricane Ida just occurred. Floods killed people in Waverly, Tenn. And Hurricane Henri disrupted life in the Northeast. There’s all this stuff going on. Our awareness of that phenomenon from covering the IPCC report informs what we’re doing now.” She named a few examples of resonant climate stories: - [This piece]( focuses on homeowners and renters across the country who aren’t warned about the flood or wildfire dangers they face. - [This story]( explores how the effects of climate change are threatening Lebanon’s ancient cedar trees. - A [pair]( of [stories]( examines Cleveland and its climate action and equity planning. - “[United States of Wildfire]( is an in-depth, multimedia collaboration with NPR, member station WABE in Atlanta and New Hampshire Public Radio. You can find many more stories in NPR’s [environment]( and [climate]( sections. And there’s much more to come. — Kayla Randall The president’s religion Hollis and Jamie Barickman write: On the 3 p.m. hourly news update, the reporter referred to President Biden as "the Catholic president" in a story on the new Texas abortion ban law. ... If the president's religion is relevant to the news story, then explain the context. According to the [Pew Research Center]( the majority of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in most cases and do not want Roe to be overturned. Wendy Andersen writes: "The Catholic president..." in the lead-in to a story about President Biden's objection to the Texas abortion ban. … The president's religion has no place in this story. When is the president’s faith relevant? And more importantly, when is this particular president’s faith relevant? It’s not “never,” and it’s not “always.” NPR Executive Producer for Newscasts Robert Garcia points out that President Joe Biden is only the second Catholic U.S. president and the first in 60 years. He’s the most religiously observant president in recent history. And many [news]( stories have addressed the [intersection]( or even the [clash]( of his faith and his politics. Still, if a journalist is going to mention that the president is a Catholic, it should be clear why. Here’s the wording from a Sept. 2 afternoon newscast reported by Lakshmi Singh: “President Biden is accusing Texas of launching an unprecedented assault on a woman’s Constitutional rights with enforcement of a new abortion law. The Catholic president said today that he would embark on a whole-of-government effort to challenge the law after the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court declined to block it. White House press secretary Jen Psaki says Biden plans to meet with members of Congress about legislation to protect access to abortions.” In this case, listeners had to guess what the newscaster meant. Some assumed she was pointing out that the president is veering from the teachings of his professed faith. Others thought the mention of his religion was a nod to the separation between church and state. “In this newscast, while I understand the intent, the context and framing was absent,” Garcia wrote in an email. “And, ‘telegraphing’ the complexities of the president’s public policy positions and the conflicts with traditional church doctrine, fell short of the mark.” Because her staff is tasked with covering the White House, I asked Chief Washington Editor Shirley Henry when Biden’s faith is relevant on stories about abortion laws. “I would not say it’s always relevant or usually relevant. I think it depends on the story,” she wrote. “An example of when his faith is relevant, we’d argue, is when NPR is taking a long view on his evolving position on abortion. It’s been relevant in those cases because his views used to be closer to those of the church, and he’s faced opposition from bishops when his views have changed.” — Kelly McBride The Public Editor spends a lot of time examining moments where NPR fell short. Yet we also learn a lot about NPR by looking at work that we find to be compelling and excellent journalism. Here we share a line or two about the pieces where NPR shines. The children of 9/11 victims [An Nguyen sits for a portrait at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Nguyen had just turned four when his father died in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.]( Ian Morton/NPR WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY [They Don't Remember Their Parents Dying On 9/11. But They'll Never Forget]( Weekend Edition Sunday and Special Correspondent Melissa Block [brought listeners and readers the stories]( of young adults whose parents were killed when they were children on 9/11. The piece gives space to all the emotions they’ve experienced reflecting on the losses and legacies of their parents, with many having only few or hazy memories of their loved ones. Hearing each of their voices and perspectives is some of the most powerful and moving storytelling I’ve heard. — Kayla Randall The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Researchers Amaris Castillo and Kayla Randall make this newsletter possible. Illustrations are by Carlos Carmonamedina. We are still reading all of your messages on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [from our inbox](. As always, keep them coming. Kelly McBride NPR Public Editor Chair, [Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute]( Kelly McBride, Public Editor Kayla Randall, NPR Amaris Castillo, Poynter Institute The Public Editor stands as a source of independent accountability. Created by NPR's board of directors, the Public Editor serves as a bridge between the newsroom and the audience, striving to both listen to the audience's concerns and explain the newsroom's work and ambitions. The office ensures NPR remains steadfast in its mission to present fair, accurate and comprehensive information in service of democracy. [Read more]( from the NPR Public Editor, [contact us]( or follow us on [Twitter](. You received this message because you're subscribed to Public Editor emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]