Emily Atkin

Emily Atkin is the founder, author, and editor-in-chief of HEATED, a newsletter dedicated to original accountability reporting and analysis on the climate crisis.13 She created HEATED in September 2019 after six years of covering climate politics for various news outlets in Washington, D.C.1

Background and Career

Atkin's political reporting career began in 2010 as a reporter for The Legislative Gazette in Albany, New York. She later became a research assistant for Wayne Barrett, a renowned investigative journalist.2 Her climate change journalism career started in 2013 when she moved to Washington, D.C. to work as a climate reporter for ThinkProgress.2

Before founding HEATED, Atkin worked as a staff writer covering climate change for The New Republic from early 2017 to late 2019.2 Her reporting on climate change has also appeared in publications such as Slate, Mother Jones, Sojourners, CityLab, and The Hill.2

HEATED Newsletter

HEATED is a newsletter that approaches climate change as a high-stakes corruption, power, and disinformation story.1 It aims to expose and explain the forces behind past and present inaction on climate change, empowering the public to effectively tackle what Atkin considers the most existential threat of our time.12

The newsletter has gained significant recognition and praise from various publications:

• New York Magazine described it as "impassioned and deeply reported"
• The New York Times called it "confrontational"
• The Guardian referred to it as "emotive and in-depth"
• Vanity Fair deemed it a "must-read"12

Approach and Impact

Atkin's approach to climate journalism combines acerbic wit with a forensic understanding of her subject.1 Her work has been noted for its effectiveness in driving change. For example, a week after her story on fossil fuel ads, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren tweeted about it, tagging Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Twitter subsequently changed its policy.1

MSNBC has referred to Atkin as "one of the foremost climate journalists in the U.S."2 Her work aims to inform and empower readers, encouraging them to approach the climate crisis with the alarm and moral urgency that the science suggests it deserves.1