Science writer Andrew C. Revkin, the individual journalist most identified with reporting on climate change, is leaving The New York Times. His last day will be December 21, and he will affiliate with Pace University. He is expected to continue working on his popular Dotearth blog through The Times, though details are still being arranged.
Revkin’s move has been in the works for some time, and he says he decided some two years ago - after writing a “next 20 years” personal memorandum about his career plans - that he would leave journalism. He cites frustration with journalism and also personal fatigue after routinely working virtually 24/7 in recent years.
More details, based on a personal interview and analysis of newsroom impacts, to be posted later today at The Yale Forum on Climate Change & The Media.
Here here for the sharpest mainstream journalist of the decade. History will look kindly on him.
Phil’s “useful idiot” is not useful anymore it seems 
I hope we hear more of Andy Revkin’s own voice from his new position. I’ve always wanted to know more about how he evaluates what he sees and hears; he has always started interesting topics at DotEarth, though they’ve usually been buried in copypaste opinions too fast to get any further idea what he knows that he’d like to tell us about.
I’m hoping for much more Revkin.
Open coursework maybe?
I am so hoping this move is an indication that after the climategate revelations Revkin is beginning to have his own doubts about global warming data and can figure no way journalistically to deal with it. It would be wonderful if, in his new position and on his blog he can take a fresh look at the earth’s changes free from the rabid hounds on both sides of the political global warming issue. Let science be science.
He was a good relatively impartial arbiter of news on the topic. I hope he blogs or keeps his voice out there. I worry who they are going to replace him with.
I’m disappointed to hear this. I’ve used Mr. Revkin’s columns several times to point out how he not only avoids fallacy of balance reporting, but corrects false claims by interview subjects with empirical facts.
His knowledge and high standards are receding traits in the world of journalism, as evidenced by commentors here that falsely believe the rhetorical fallacies of denialists.
Re Mr. Paint and Mr. Coyote: “climategate” is a lovely phrase used by the credulous to avoid actual thought. It is easier, apparently, to believe in a global conspiracy to make the world poor than to take the time to grasp the genuine complexity of climate change science. Those who do, like Revkin (whose first book on climate change appeared months before mine all the way back in 1989) will be missed.
Meanwhile, the tactic to repeat the term “climategate” as if programmers angst and an attempt to understand contradictions between different data sets represents something other than normal science, serves to advance certain political and economic interests … but nothing else.
good riddence
Revkin left journalism some time ago. Only he and the climategate lobby didn’t notice