"Univ. of Montana Launches Environmental Journalism Program"

"At least somebody gets it. The University of Montana in Missoula announced on Monday that it is accepting applications for a new, two-year graduate program in environmental science and natural resource journalism.

The news comes less than a month after Columbia University, in New York, decided to suspend a similar and highly regarded fourteen-year-old program, citing falling employment in the field, the rising costs of education, and a lack of financial aid for students. Many journalists, students, and bloggers criticized Columbia’s decision, noting that environmental issues are at the forefront of many economic and policy debates and that specialized journalistic training prepares students for a wide array of jobs within the industry and out."

Curtis Brainard reports in The Observatory for the Columbia Journalism Review November 11, 2009.