Washington, D.C. — Today, ThinkProgress, the award-winning news site from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, announced a major expansion of Climate Progress, its hub for coverage of climate change, energy, and environmental news, and a complete redesign of ThinkProgress.org.
“As we experience some of the most devastating global-warming-related weather in recorded history, too many major media outlets are abandoning or retreating from full-time reporting and blogging on climate change and the environment,” said Tom Perriello, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. “With public interest increasing and hard-hitting coverage on the decline, ThinkProgress is stepping up with a major expansion of our in-depth and innovative research and reporting on one of the most critical and complex issues of our time.”
Climate Progress is adding eight new staff members, including beat and investigative reporters and social media and multimedia specialists. Climate Progress’s expanded coverage will focus on three key areas: illustrating the impact climate change is having now across the country; investigating the opposition forces that fuel climate denial and obstruct action; and elevating climate change to an issue that influences voters and elections. The expanded site will also be able to cover a broader spectrum of climate and energy issues, including environmental justice and green technology.
“This project will utilize ThinkProgress’s proven success in delivering hard-hitting, rapid-response reporting, as well as advanced use of social media and investigative research, in an effort to broaden the audience for environmental coverage,” said ThinkProgress Editor-in-Chief Judd Legum. “ThinkProgress is the ideal organization to fill the gap in mainstream coverage of climate change, creating sustained accountability for politicians and special interests.”
Ryan Koronowski and Kiley Kroh serve as Climate Progress deputy editors. Joanna Foster, a former contributor to the now-shuttered Green blog at The New York Times, and Ari Phillips recently joined Climate Progress as reporters. Phillips will be reporting from Australia until September. Center for American Progress Action Fund Senior Fellow and Climate Progress Founding Editor Joe Romm continues as a contributor and editor-at-large. Center for American Progress Action Fund Senior Fellow Tom Kenworthy, a former reporter for USA Today and The Washington Post, will also serve as a contributor.
The expansion of Climate Progress comes at the same time as a complete redesign and expansion of ThinkProgress.org. In addition to the expanded Climate Progress and recently-announced ThinkProgress Sports, ThinkProgress, which has averaged more than 5 million unique visitors per month so far in 2013, has sections devoted to covering the economy, health care, immigration, justice and legal issues, LGBT news, national security, and culture. Alyssa Rosenberg was recently promoted to Features Editor and other recent hires include Economics Editor Bryce Covert, Deputy Economics Editor Alan Pyke, Social Media Reporter Andrew Breiner, and Immigration Reporter Esther Yu-Hsi Lee. These additions and the expansion of Climate Progress will grow the ThinkProgress news room to more than 30 editors and reporters.
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