Environmentalism may well be the next big topic for audience engagement and growth but only if journalists find new ways to make it relevant to people's everyday lives
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The Times and Sunday Times launched an Earth digital channel that features pieces on climate change, pollution, nature and wildlife, sustainability, renewable energy, and electric cars and transport. Readers can also subscribe to a weekly newsletter that brings the latest digest of Earth news.
In this week's podcast, The Sunday Times's science editor Ben Spencer talks about how this new section comes off the back of high engagement with climate as a topic. His recent piece about the future of the home gas boiler, which went out on the Sunday of Prince Phillip's funeral, outperformed all royal coverage that day.
There is unified attention on environmentalism; countries are at least diplomatically on the same page about climate action. Other media organisations, like the Financial Times, the Economist or Bloomberg have also launched climate-focused products recently. The interest in the topic is mounting as the UK will be hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November.
Whether this is a bandwagon playing out or a genuine awakening to an audience desire, Spencer says now is the time to pounce on the topic and give readers climate stories that resonate with their day-to-day lives.
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