Case Studies in Earth & Environmental Science Journalism

Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico .

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Questions to Ponder and Discuss

• First coverage on the dead zone appeared in 1985 in United Press International, whereas the first substantial coverage of the issue by the National Press occurred in 1990, and not significantly again until 1992-1993.  Why did this issue get such slow initial press coverage given that research began when it did? What do you think instigated renewed press interest and coverage starting in 1992-1993?

• How is the article from the Toronto Star in 1990 an example of how reporters cover stories given scientific uncertainty?  How do other pieces deal with this problem?

• How effective was Mark Schleifstein of the Times Picayune in his article “Farms blamed for damage to Gulf food chain” at covering the 1994 paper in Nature by Rabalais?

• How is scientists’ research ideas characterized or conveyed by journalists? Do journalists take on a pejorative tone toward scientists in any of the pieces?  

• There is an assortment of sources that cover this issue.  What techniques and devices do the journalists use to appeal to a wide array of audiences?  Which ones do a good job…which ones don’t?

• How well do some of the articles (if any) cover the issue in an objective or balanced way as opposed to endorsing or “playing to” either side of the controversy?

• Compare and contrast the two articles from Science.  How well does each incorporate available scientific information of the time?  How does each frame the policy issues of the time?  Is one article better than the other?

• Look at coverage in Tech Central Station (a web publishing site underwritten by several conservative think tanks and corporations) and the position statements of the Farm Bureau.  What techniques do skeptics use to attack the scientific basis of the dead zone controversy? Now look at coverage from the University of Houston’s Daily Cougar. Does the author’s ideological bias—though polar opposite to that of TCS and the Farm Bureau—also obscure the actual issue at hand? Out of the two “journalistic” pieces, which seems more credible?

• How is this issue similar to the global climate change issue?

Readings

Background & Technical information:

Turner, R. E., and Rabalais, N. N., 1991. Changes in Mississippi River water quality this century. Implications for coastal food webs. BioScience, v. 41, p. 140-147.

Turner, R.E., and N. Rabalais. 1994. Coastal Eutrophication Near the Mississippi River Delta. Nature 368:619-621.

United States.  Congressional Research Service.  Marine Dead Zones: Understanding the Problem. November 1998. 5 November 2004 http://www.ncseonline.org/nle/crsreports/marine/mar30.cfm?&CFID=17021707&CFTOKEN=39674443.  

Press Releases.

Farm Bureau Files Comments on Gulf of Mexico Report. 8 Aug. 1999. American Farm Bureau Federation. 6 November 2004 http://www.fb.org/news/nr/nr99/nr0810a.html.

“Farm Bureau Muddies Debate on Mississippi River Pollution: Illinois River Advocates Set Record Straight on ‘Dead Zone’ Connection.” PR Newswire. 9 August 2000.   

Popular Articles.

Miller, David.  "Tightening the Belt."  Seattle Times  5 Jan. 1992: A1.

Untitled Wire Report. United Press International  25 July 1985.

“Fertilizer seen as key to poor gulf water quality.” Engineering News-Record  12 Nov. 1987: Pg. 1.

Mayfield, Mark. “Scientists venture into depths of the 'dead zone'.” USA Today  12 June 1990: 5A.

Stammer, Larry B. “Gulf of Mexico under siege Wave of pollution threatens beaches, fishing grounds.” The Toronto Star  2 July 1990: A11.

“Gulf fish kill blamed on mix of 'dead zones,' Hurricane Andrew.” United Press International, 29 Aug. 1992.

Holmstrom, David. “Mississippi Flooding Leaves a Toxic Legacy: Pollution in Gulf of Mexico.” Christian Science Monitor  7 Sept. 1993: 1.

Schleifstein, Mark. “Farms Blamed For Damage To Gulf Food Chain.” Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)  6 May, 1994: B1.

Mcquaid, John. “Bold New 'Chaos Theory' Says Fishery Experts Way Off Track.”  Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)  31 March 1996: A15.

Ballingrud, David. “Farm belt sowing seeds of bitter harvest in gulf.” St. Petersburg Times (Florida) 5 Jan. 1997: 1B.  

“U.S. agriculture's environmental practices.” The Kiplinger Agriculture Letter 12 Sept. 1997: Vol. 68; No. 19.

Schleifstein, Mark. “Fertilizer, sewage brew dead zone.” Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)  25 March, 1996. PART OF PULITZER-WINNING SERIES: (see also graphics at site) http://www.pulitzer.org/year/1997/public-service/works/2-1/.

Yoon, Carol Kaesuk. “A 'Dead Zone' Grows in the Gulf of Mexico.” New York Times  20 Jan. 1998: F1.

Malakoff, David.  “Death by Suffocation in the Gulf of Mexico.” Science.  281 (1998): 190-92.

Warrick, Joby. “Death in the Gulf of Mexico,” National Wildlife 37(4), June/July 1999, p. 48.

Joyce, Stephanie. “The Dead Zones: Oxygen-Starved Coastal Waters.” Environ. Health Perspect. 2000 Mar; 108(3):A120-5.

Ferber, Dan. “Keeping the Stygian Waters at Bay.” Science (2001); 291: 968-973.

Nierenberg, Danielle. "Toxic Fertility," WorldWatch Magazine March - April 2001: 30-38.

Knudsen, Natalie. “Water-Quality Sleuths: Corn Growers Commit to Nitrogen Research.” Soybean Digest  15 March 2001.

 “The Dead Zone.” The Economist  August 24, 2002: U.S. Edition.

Wilde, Matthew. “Farmers Try to Improve Public Image on Environmental Issues.” Waterloo Courier  17 March 2003.

Mississippi Dead Zone. 10 Aug. 2004. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 1 Nov. 2004 http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2004/0810deadzone.html.

Fumento, Michael. “The ‘Dead Zone’ Fish Story.” Tech Central Station 16 Aug. 2004 http://www.techcentralstation.com/081604F.html.

Schleifstein, Mark. “Farmers Find Fuel in Dead Zone Study; Nitrogen Not the Only Culprit in the Gulf.” Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)  31 Aug. 2004: A1.

Clement, Matthew T. “Corporate farms just create shark bait.” The Daily Cougar

16 Sept. 2004.

Giberson, Tony. “Storms may have helped disperse Gulf 'dead zone'.” Pensacola News Journal 4 Oct. 2004.

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