climate change population migration issue attention cycle agenda-building
nisbetmc | February 23, 2009Shankar Vendantam's story headlined "Climate Fears Are Driving 'Ecomigration' Across the Globe" runs on the front page at the Washington Post today. It's not often that climate change is a front-pager at the NY Times or the WPost, making it important to understand the types of narratives that prompt editors to give the issue top attention.
For example, in January 2006, Andrew Revkin's report that NASA political appointees were blocking James Hansen's ability to make public statements ran as the lead story of the Sunday NY Times. For Times' editors, who earned their stripes covering politics…