Yale E360
U.S. environmentalist / science-advocacy
Background
Yale E360 launched on June 3, 2008, an idea first proposed in 2007 by James Gustave Speth, then dean of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Roger Cohn, previously editor-in-chief of Mother Jones and executive editor of Audubon, was recruited to found and edit the site, a role he held for roughly two decades before stepping down. The outlet built a reputation for long-form reporting, commentary, and interviews on climate change, biodiversity, pollution, and environmental policy, drawing on contributions from prominent science and environmental writers such as Bill McKibben, Elizabeth Kolbert, Fred Pearce, and Carl Zimmer. It operates with a small staff and relies heavily on freelance contributors and outside grant funding rather than university money or advertising revenue. While it describes itself as nonpartisan and science-driven, its mission and sourcing are oriented around raising alarm about environmental degradation and climate change, which places its coverage generally in line with mainstream climate-science consensus and often at odds with deregulatory policy positions. It has not been free of controversy over funding transparency, as some foundation donors have broader climate-advocacy agendas. Overall it is best characterized as a credible but advocacy-oriented environmental publication rather than a neutral general-news outlet.
Sources
- Yale Environment 360 - Wikipedia
- About - Yale E360
- Yale Environment 360 - Columbia Journalism Review
- After Two Decades, E360's Founder and Editor Is Moving On - Yale E360
- Roger Cohn - Wikipedia
- 'Good, science-based reporting': 15 years of Yale-based environmental publication - Yale Daily News
Profile compiled 2026-10-02; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.