Headline Headwinds:

A Climate Journalism Forum for IJNR Alumni

October 5-7, 2026
Western Montana

Application deadline Friday, July 31

Calling all IJNR Alumni! 

You probably already know the stats: Every human and every habitat on the planet is experiencing the consequences of a warming world in some way, yet U.S. climate journalism makes up barely half of 1 percent of all news media reporting. Even more alarming, it’s on the decline. 

Across our industry, from The Washington Post to CBS News to NPR, climate teams are being dismantled. Right when information about the causes of our current reality and the consequences of policies and mitigation efforts are most crucial, the news industry is dropping the ball. 

So, what’s to be done? We thought we’d ask you! 

IJNR’s Climate Journalism Forum will bring up to 40 IJNR alumni to the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station from October 5-7, to tap the collective wit and wisdom of our accomplished alums and explore ways to get climate change back in the news. Like all our programming, we won’t just focus on the problems. We’re equally interested in solutions. We want to hear from intrepid reporters and innovative news outlets that prioritize climate coverage. We’ll explore successful approaches, new platforms and metrics for measuring impact. Because this is IJNR, we will of course hear from researchers and get out into the field to learn how warming is impacting the irreplaceable Flathead Lake.

With the ranks of IJNR alumni now approaching 1,500, we hope the Forum can be more than a thought exercise. By convening a few dozen of our past Fellows for two days of robust conversation, collaborative brainstorming, and a healthy dose of camaraderie, we truly believe we can move the needle on climate coverage. 

Unlike our standard procedure, admission to this program will not be by competitive selection. To indicate your interest in attending the Forum – and to suggest session topics or potential speakers – please fill out this quick survey on Google forms. Please note that due to space limitations, we are only able to accommodate up to 40 attendees. Journalists whose session or speaker suggestions are chosen will automatically be admitted; the remaining spots will be filled by random selection if interest in the forum exceeds capacity. IJNR will provide lodging, meals and local transportation between Missoula and Flathead Lake . Attendees traveling from afar should plan to fly into Missoula. If you need help getting to Missoula or have other questions, please reach out at contact@ijnr.org.