Unofficial Conference Blog | Society of Environmental Journalists

Recap! Including Diverse Voices In Environmental Stories

Among the Texas Tech students helping record audio for our Lubbock days is Roxie Bustamante, who also recaps several sessions for us. Including this one: 

It's not a problem unique to journalism. But what are journalists doing to fulfil a vital need for diversity? 

Moderator Roger Witherspoon kicked off the session saying that environmental journalism is unique, because it encompasses all aspects of the news.

The panelists tackled segregation's sources. Zoning committees can purposely place different races in different sections of the city, which affects housing, general health, and has a long-term economic impact. This type of segregation started generations ago and still affects millions of people today. 

Terry Greenberg, editor of the Lubbock Avalanche – Journal, said, “West Texas is behind in race relations.” Greenberg continued by explaining that the content of the news should always reflect the community. Newsrooms may have gender inequality, but it's a bigger problem that races aren't equally well represented in them.

Many of audience members discussed the conflicts they have run to regarding diversity, including people of different races reluctant to talk to reporters, because they are of a different race or gender.

Another challenge with diversity may lie within the classroom. Some assert that journalism students are not being taught to look for ways to present diversity in their stories; others say they are. Aspiring journalists need to present stories reflecting their communities accurately.

In the end, Greenberg emphasized that documents are colorblind, factual, and can lead a journalist to a story. Journalists must have enough information on a story, to present to their editor, so their editor will want diverse stories that effectively represent a diverse community. 

Recap! A Price On Water: Privatization Of The Top Liquid Asset

Among the Texas Tech students helping record audio for our Lubbock days is Roxie Bustamante, who also recaps several sessions for us. Including this one: 

Ken Rainwater gave a presentation titled Hydrology 101: Texas Style. He discussed topics such as the hydrologic cycle, hydo-illogic cycle, and surface water issues. Although the presentation contained data for Texas communities, Rainwater also discussed the issues in a broader sense.

However, the main issue that was continuously debated was whether water should be a public or private right. Panel speaker David Sandino discussed his experience with water being a private right. He said generally cities that privatize their water generally do not accomplish any economic benefit, because of the limitations it presents on the retail of water.  

Another issue discussed was the government’s neglect to define what affordable water is for people, not only across the United States, but also for different districts within the same state.

Water rights are different for each state. In Texas, people can pump water, even if it affects their neighbors’ water source. The Ozarka controversy was a specific example of the issue.

The audience was engaged throughout the session and shared some of their experiences with a variety of water issues and asked questions about the levels of the aquifers across the United States.

Panelist Jeff Johnson commented on what he sees as government's procrastination problem with a quote from Winston Churchill: “Never doubt that Americans will do the right thing after they have tried everything else.”

Oil & Gas Drilling Tour! Images from Dennis Dimick

Photojournalist Dennis Dimick captured some great images from the oil and gas drilling tour around the Midland-Odessa area. His great work’s on flickr.

    

Recap! Freelance Pitch Slam

Among the Texas Tech students helping record audio for our Lubbock days is Roxie Bustamante, who also recaps several sessions for us. Including this one: 

Do you have the courage to present your story in front of a panel of experienced editors? During this session, freelancers had one minute to effectively pitch their idea for a story.  The panel included editors and reports looking for a pitch that would fit within their company's scope. If the story idea was not something his or her company was looking for, the panel speaker would give advise on how the freelancer can mold and expand on their idea. 

Some freelancers were lucky enough to fit their pitch within a minute, but others were not. Some freelancers were turned down by editors who feared the political aspect of the pitch would negatively impact their readership during the campaign season. Editors do not want to publish a story that advocates political stance on an environmental issue, because it could make readers think the organization is politically biased.

The panel members repeatedly asked how the freelancer's idea differed from similar stories that have already been published and how the story would inform or intrigue their readers to continue to follow the issue. 

The story ideas ranged from hybrid flying squirrels to the need for Congress legislation to regenerate a Clean Water Act. All of the freelancers who mustered up the courage to present their pitch were given the opportunity to speak. 

Conference Coverage on SEJ.org Now

Hey all, multimedia coverage of SEJ's Lubbock conference is being posted as it comes in here: http://www.sej.org/initiatives/sej-annual-conferences/AC2012-coverage

It's a work in progress, so check the page often. If you have stories informed from the conference and would like to share them on SEJ's coverage page, please send the link to ED Beth Parke, bparke@sej.org, and SEJ web content manager (me, Cindy MacDonald) at cmac@sej.org. Thanks!

You can also share your photos on SEJ's Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2092833@N20/