| NOTE FROM THE EDITOR |
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Dear readers,
This week is different: Instead of delivering energy and climate news, we invite you to join the development of CLEW.
Today, we like to hear what you expect from journalism in the age of AI and information overload. I’d like to introduce our journalism, how we operate differently as a non-profit, and explain how we aim to prevent polarisation and limit the spread of disinformation through a friction-checking approach in key areas of rapid and complex change. |
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by Sven Egenter | Berlin, Germany |
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| Cut out noise |
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Journalism that matters
Seismic disruption and the collapse of trust. Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) aims to handle nothing less with its own brand of journalism in support of a faster and fairer move to climate resilience.
AI- and algorithm-dominated communication dramatically changes the space for democratic debate and decision-making. Old media models are dying, well-established journalism certainties crumble, and the profession’s very existence is at stake.
As media fragmentation is progressing fast, floods of content drown out relevant information. Overload, polarisation, news avoidance, and a growing loss of trust in democratic processes and institutions open the door for mis- and disinformation. The new fractured reality threatens democracies and international collaboration.
Against this backdrop, CLEW offers its purpose-driven quality journalism and a range of events and live-formats beyond publishing. We cut through the noise, focus on the process, context and relevance, instead of personalities, headlines and opinions. We won the trust of a community of thousands of journalists, scientists, diplomats, business leaders, activists and officials. As a non-profit, we can skip the outrage of the day and focus on what matters.
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Journalists at a CLEW-organised research tour.
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Our journalism is:
- Correct – We aim for the highest journalistic standards through rigorous research, thorough fact-checking, and source transparency. We also avoid reporting questionable claims, decontextualised figures and polarising comments.
- Context-led – Relevance, background and explanation of the processes are key to taking effective decisions.
- Constructive – CLEW shows realistic solutions and the way forward without polarising or picking winners upfront.
- Collaborative – CLEW creates value for the public, not exclusivity. Working with other media or our expert community adds diversity, ideas and expertise.
- Cross-border – Many issues and solutions are global. AI, social media and disinformation transcend borders. Our collaborations connect the dots, include local context and foster international fairness.
With your support we can multiply our successful model. Get in touch to ask questions, suggest ideas or discuss how you can fund a healthy, trusted information space.
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| Your view on media |
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"[CLEW's] kind of journalism is a fundamental prerequisite for an informed public debate and sound policymaking."
- Brigitte Knopf, Founder and Director of think tank Zukunft KlimaSozial
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| CLEW2027 |
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Mind the friction: Journalism to navigate change
Facts, deep context, and a focus on relevance over noise in the energy transition have made Clean Energy Wire CLEW your trusted source. Now, we want to develop the next level of our journalism to help you – and your audiences – to navigate the coming complex changes in an equally difficult information environment.
As the energy transition, climate action and adaptation move from goals to implementation, new conflicts emerge, that deepen polarisation and create fertile ground for disinformation. If ignored, they slow progress and hurt democracy and international collaboration.
Anticipating and analysing such risks has long been a blind spot for journalism. In fact, traditional news logic thrives on conflict while AI and algorithm-driven news consumption multiplies the polarising effect.
That’s why CLEW wants to develop its trusted journalism further into a service to you and the wider public that checks early on for frictions, and checks stakeholder interests, policy consequences and solutions before they evolve into conflicts.
By asking 'Which upcoming changes are likely to cause friction?' we want to determine where our collaborative, constructive approach can have the most positive impact.
We have created six clusters of topics where we see the risk of harmful conflict. In the coming days, we will give you a glimpse into our analysis and ask you for your views.
We want to motivate funders to support us in all or some of these areas. Whether you want to accelerate climate action, protect democracy or support vulnerable groups: help us taking a close look at arising frictions.
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| SUPPORT OUR WORK |
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If you are not in a position to become a strategic partner, you can support us by adding your contribution towards CLEW's broader, more diverse funding base. |
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