Elevating Environmental Journalism: A Masterclass in Climate Storytelling

Acclaimed environmental journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rosanna Xia recently visited the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to share her expertise in climate reporting with students and researchers. During her stay in January, organized by the Institute for Sustainability and Resilience, Xia connected with PhD students studying sea level rise and toured several vulnerable coastal hotspots across the island, discussing both the challenges and potential strategies for addressing this critical issue.

In addition to these field discussions, Xia led a workshop titled “Crafting Compelling Stories: Lessons from a Pulitzer Prize Finalist” for journalism students in the JOUR 330 class. Emphasizing the importance of intention, ownership, and responsibility in narrative building, she taught students how to integrate technical language with vivid, human-centered details. Her public lecture, “Telling the Story of Sea Level Rise: Lessons from a Los Angeles Times Reporter,” concluded the visit, leaving the audience inspired by her innovative approach to connecting science and humanity in the face of climate change.

Xia is an environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she specializes in stories about the coast and ocean. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2020 for explanatory reporting, and her work has been anthologized in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series.