The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that ABC News will be dedicating more time and effort into their coverage of climate change, by creating a new unit focused on the matter, along with a special month-long series.
What’s Happening:
- Tied to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which starts October 31 in Scotland, ABC News is making a significant investment into its coverage of climate change.
- The new month-long series, Climate Crisis: Saving Tomorrow, will start off with coverage of the conference, then expanding to all 7 continents throughout November. ABC World News anchor David Muir will lead the coverage of the conference, and will also head to Madagascar, which experts believe could be the first place to see a climate change-induced famine.
- The series will focus on the causes and risks of climate change, then examining what steps can be taken to limit further damage.
- ABC News is also creating a new unit focused on climate change, led by chief meteorologist Ginger Zee, joined by coordinating producer Tracy Wholf and producer Stephanie Ebbs.
- Zee will report from the Maldives, Iceland, and Pennsylvania, with Maggie Rulli in the Faroe Islands, GMA3 and 20/20‘s Amy Robach reporting from Antarctica, Nightline‘s Byron Pitts in South Carolina, his colleague Juju Chang in Guatemala, World News Tonight Weekend‘s Linsey Davis in Alaska, This Week‘s Martha Raddatz in Hawaii, national correspondent Matt Gutman in the Amazon rainforest, foreign correspondent James Longman in India, Alex Perez in Chicago, Rob Marciano in Louisiana, Kayna Whitworth in California, Britt Clennett in Australia, Patrick Revell in Russia, and Becky Worley in New Jersey.
- Climate change coverage will appear on all of ABC News’ programs and platforms, and will include a half-hour special slated for each Friday on the news division’s streaming service.
What They’re Saying:
- David Muir, ABC World News anchor said: “What we witnessed is truly catastrophic. You can see the desperation in the faces of the children. Madagascar is facing the first famine driven entirely by climate change. There is no war, no terror, no political conflict driving this. More than a million people are already facing acute hunger. The world needs to see this.”
- Kim Godwin, president of ABC News, said: “ABC News is committed to in-depth reporting on the climate change crisis and its effect on the people and communities around us. Our global coverage across each and every continent, reporting on the stark reality of the earth’s dire condition and seeking the answers on how to create change now, reflects our dedication to shedding light on one of the most pressing issues of our time.