Spring Journalist in Residence series explores how media report on critical news stories UW–Madison’s Journalist in Residence program returns this spring with a series of virtual talks exploring what it means to be a journalist in today’s dynamic, deeply consequential news environment. “Facing the Future” focuses on the media’s role in reporting on complex and often polarizing subjects. Topics of this semester’s talks range from the evolution of local news coverage to the role of media in the climate change debate. The journalists are: Amy Westervelt: Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. Award-winning journalist and Critical Frequency founder Amy Westervelt will discuss the news media’s role in the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to block climate action and obscure climate science. Westervelt says members of the media must acknowledge and understand their role in this effort and must constantly question the sources of information they lend credence to. Her talk, “Widening the Circle of Accountability: Media & the Climate Debate,” is hosted by the La Follette School of Public Affairs.