REPORTING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA FOR DIVERSE ANGLES THAT HIT HOME
GOING INTERNATIONAL North America provides a microcosm of the world’s ethnic and economic diversity. Reporting here offers opportunities to explore specific interests and do reporting in overlooked niches.
CROSSING THE GEOPOLITICAL LINE TO GET THE STORY CAN BE EASY IF you avail yourself of any of the plethora of educational institutes, agencies, and organizations that are dedicated to cross-border concerns. This is true in the case of officially recognized boundaries as well as those not shown on the map in what seems to be an ever-richer mix of diverse communities. What’s more, being attuned to diversity angles on stories and open to environmental justice signals can lead you to an infinite storehouse of career advancement prospects. From a pitch to the editor that puts your product in the headlines to a travel grant or an educational internship, reporting with an eye to diverse perspectives has beaucoup benefits. LEARNING THE LANGUAGE If you are just starting out in environmental journalism, formal university courses that spotlight diversity can point you in the right direction and language courses can arm you with skills that linguists insist unlock appreciation of different viewpoints. Language learning is also a good starting if you are further along in your career and want to reconnoiter in the field outside your own diversity category. English is the dominant standard in North America, but Spanish is becoming ever more important. French ranks a close third due to wide use in Canada. Mexico’s Spanish language schools are located in some of the loveliest mid-size colonial cities of the country. The pursuit of French language studies in Canada also will lead you to some of the most attractive colonial cities on the continent. In either instance, you can get a feel for the environmental issues that interest people while you’re brushing up on your speaking and writing skills.
17 · Going International