When it comes to climate change, no other state has as much at risk as Florida. That’s why six of the leading news organizations in Florida have formed a partnership to share stories and work together to report on the complex challenges of climate change. The founding members include the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, the Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, and WLRN Public Media.
After surveys showed that the community wants more local news regarding the environment, the news media has decided to bring climate change-related topics to the forefront. Those topics range from building resilience to increasingly deadly hurricanes to the impact of a warming world on Florida’s $104 billion agriculture industry. Then there are the threats to the big engine of Florida’s economy: waterfront real estate. Florida has a challenging future ahead of it, but by keeping the public well informed on the issue rather than shying away from it, Florida can better prepare itself for the effects of the climate crisis.
