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This webinar pulls back the curtain on what editors actually look for when evaluating environmental story ideas.

Editors play a decisive role in shaping which environmental investigations move forward and get published, yet their expectations are often opaque to reporters. In this session you will learn how editors assess pitches, what signals for them a strong investigative idea, and why some proposals advance while others stall.

Drawing on the experience of several outlets, the session offers advice on pitching accountability-driven environmental investigations. Participants will learn how to sharpen their story angles and align their proposals with editorial priorities.

To make guidance as concrete as possible, we offer participants an option to send us their own pitch to get feedback on it! Our speakers will select 4-5 most interesting ones from those that we receive from the attendees (by 4 May 2026, Monday, 3pm CET). Discussing the pitches received will happen in the real time, you would not be able to see it in the recording or transcript. You will find more details in the email confirming your registration.

REGISTER HERE

Speakers:

  • Maria Mast, Science Reporter & Editor, Die Zeit
  • Teresa Guerrero Fernández, Science Editor, El Mundo
  • Erik Hoffner, senior editor, Mongabay

The discussion will be moderated by Juliana Ruhfus, investigative filmmaker and a long-standing mentor for the Earth investigations programme (see the list of investigations supported by this grant programme).