Five newsrooms selected for Climate Solutions Visuals — Climate Beacons Newsroom Initiative

The Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) is pleased to announce the selection of five newsrooms for the Climate Solutions Visuals — Climate Beacons Newsroom Initiative (CBNI). This initiative aims to strengthen visual storytelling in climate journalism by supporting newsrooms dedicated to reporting on local climate solutions.

Selected from a competitive pool of proposals, these newsrooms demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing climate solutions reporting, specifically through enhanced photojournalism and visual coverage. “These newsrooms were selected based on the strength of their proposals, the identified gaps in their climate solutions visual coverage, and their commitment to strengthening their photo desks through CBNI to better report on climate solutions in their communities,” said Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Director of Climate at SJN.

This year’s response to the CBNI was robust, with proposals from diverse newsrooms offering innovative approaches to climate journalism. “We received strong proposals for the CBNI this year, and there were so many worthwhile projects and newsrooms,” added Jackson. “We are excited to support these selected newsrooms as they expand their visual storytelling capacities to cover the pressing climate solutions in their regions.”

Selected Newsrooms:

Mongabay: An internationally recognized environmental media organization, Mongabay publishes in six languages, covering biodiversity, Indigenous rights, and natural resource governance. With a global network of over 1,000 journalists, Mongabay provides solutions-focused reporting that brings clarity to environmental challenges worldwide.

• Willie Shubert, Executive Editor & VP of Programs, Mongabay: “SJN’s support for visual storytelling is helping Mongabay keep our coverage of climate solutions grounded in the lived experience of people working to address the immense and urgent challenges of climate change. We are honored to work collaboratively with new partners and peers to examine how and why different responses to climate problems are working or not.”

Osage News: Based in northeastern Oklahoma, Osage News serves the Osage Nation with a monthly print publication and daily digital updates, focusing on issues that impact tribal members and surrounding communities. Through CBNI, Osage News plans to expand its environmental reporting to address the specific climate challenges facing the Osage Nation.

• Shannon Shaw Duty, Editor, Osage News: “The Osage News is very thankful to the Solutions Journalism Network for this much-needed assistance in visual reporting. We plan to strengthen our environmental reporting this year and better inform our community of its environmental needs.”

Alaska Beacon: A digital newsroom based in Juneau and Anchorage, Alaska Beacon covers policy, climate change, and social justice issues, with a specific focus on Alaska Native and historically marginalized communities. The newsroom’s reporting reaches a wide audience across Alaska, providing crucial insights into the rapidly changing Alaskan climate.

• Andrew Kitchenman, Editor, Alaska Beacon: “The climate in Alaska is changing more rapidly than most places, and it’s important to visually document the work being done that’s aimed at addressing this change. The Alaska Beacon staff is excited to be a part of this project and to share these vital stories with our audience.”

New York Amsterdam News: One of the oldest Black newspapers in the U.S., the New York Amsterdam News focuses on issues that impact Black and Brown communities in New York and across the nation. With the support of CBNI, the newsroom will deepen its climate coverage, highlighting how these communities are addressing climate challenges through innovative approaches.

• Damaso Reyes, Editor, New York Amsterdam News: “We are excited to expand our visual journalism to help highlight the ways in which our community is meeting the challenge of climate change through innovative solutions. This partnership with SJN will allow us to deepen our coverage of issues that matter to Black and Brown communities in New York and beyond.”

Cherokee Phoenix: The first newspaper published in a Native American language, the Cherokee Phoenix serves Cherokee Nation citizens from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, covering government, culture, and environmental issues. As climate change intensifies, the Phoenix will leverage SJN’s support to report on its impact on Cherokee communities with greater visual depth.

• Tyler Thomas, Executive Editor, Cherokee Phoenix: “The Cherokee Phoenix is excited for the opportunity to be part of this SJN Climate Beacon Newsroom Initiative. It is no secret that weather has become more intense in recent years, and this initiative will give our news team the tools necessary to report on this trend and help inform our citizens.”

The five selected newsrooms will receive targeted support to help build and enhance their photojournalism resources, enabling them to create impactful visuals that bring climate solutions stories to life for their audiences. The CBNI aims to foster a collaborative network of climate-focused newsrooms, each contributing to a growing field of solutions-based climate journalism.

CBNI CSV Trainers

Tara Pixley
Tara Pixley is a visual journalist and professor based in Los Angeles, with an MFA in Photography and a Ph.D. in Communication. A queer, first-generation Jamaican-American, Tara focuses on reframing race, gender, climate issues, and LGBTQ+ communities through a liberation lens. Currently documenting urban oil production in Los Angeles, her work has been supported by the Pulitzer Center/Diversify Photo Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant. Tara is a founding member and Executive Director of Authority Collective and Vice President of the National Press Photographer’s Association. Her expertise includes consulting for organizations aiming to tell visually inclusive and equitable stories.

Justin Cook
Justin Cook is a journalist, photographer, and artist based in Durham, North Carolina. His long-term projects focus on ordinary people affected by climate change, connecting the issue to their passions, homes, and histories. An FAA-licensed drone pilot, Justin is a multiple Pulitzer Center grantee, with funding from the SJN Climate Solutions Fellowship, The North Carolina Arts Council, and The Puffin Foundation. Recognized by Pictures of The Year International and The Society of Environmental Journalists, his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, National Geographic, and The Washington Post. Outside of photography, Justin enjoys searching for fossilized shark teeth in eastern North Carolina.

About the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN):
The Solutions Journalism Network is dedicated to advancing rigorous and compelling reporting on responses to social problems. Through initiatives like CBNI, SJN supports newsrooms and journalists worldwide in producing journalism that helps communities understand and address critical issues, including climate change.