Peter Prengaman to lead AP's expanding climate coverage

NEW YORK (AP) — Peter Prengaman, a multiformat journalist and newsroom leader who has led coverage of major stories around the world, was named climate and environmental editor of The Associated Press on Wednesday. This new position will lead the news agency’s expanding coverage of climate issues as part of a major global initiative.

“Climate change is among the most important issues of our time,” said Julie Pace, AP’s executive editor and senior vice president. “Peter’s appointment will help put coverage of climate change at the center of AP’s global news report, with a focus on holding governments and powerful interests accountable, and exposing the inequities of climate change’s effects.”

Prengaman will build out a team of journalists around the world, and work with AP colleagues to build on AP’s strong climate and environmental coverage, most recently from the international climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Prengaman’s position is one of two funded by the Rockefeller Foundation as part of the launch of AP’s climate initiative, a partnership with philanthropic foundations to enhance global understanding of climate change and its impact. The initiative includes positions in Africa and likely expansion of climate coverage in the Amazon, Asia and Europe.

“This initiative, with the help of the Rockefeller Foundation and others, will enable us to closely examine efforts to cope with climate change, both the problems it poses and its potential solutions,” said AP Deputy Managing Editor Sarah Nordgren. “We are thrilled to have Peter in this new post.”

Prengaman, currently news director for the western U.S., has taken on many roles in nearly 20 years with the AP. He started as a reporter in Oregon and later served as a Caribbean correspondent based in the Dominican Republic. He has served in Los Angeles, Atlanta and was news editor for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. He was news director in Brazil before returning to the U.S. in 2019 to become West news director.

“Peter is among the most capable and imaginative journalists I know, and over many years he has chronicled the real-world impact of climate change on real people and places,” said Brian Carovillano, AP’s head of investigations, enterprise, grants and partnerships. “All of that had led him to this critical new role driving our coverage of the most important issue of our time.”