Institutes For Journalism & Natural Resources

THE ORGANIZATION PURSUES HIGHER STANDARDS OF NEWS COVERAGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT -- STANDARDS OF ACCURACY, FAIRNESS, BALANCE, DEPTH AND CONTEXT.

IJNR RETURNED TO IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING IN 2022 AFTER TWO YEARS OF COVID-DRIVEN HIATUS. WE KEPT OUR FOUR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS SHORTER, MINDFUL THAT THE PANDEMIC WAS STILL WITH US, AND WE CONTINUED TO OFFER VIRTUAL PROGRAMS. OVERALL WE CONDUCTED SEVEN PROGRAMS.PROGRAMMING REFLECTED OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR PROGRAM DESIGN, RECRUITMENT OF JOURNALISTS AND RECRUITMENT OF SPEAKERS: OUR SOUTH TEXAS AND WATER QUALITY WORKSHOPS WERE BOTH OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE UPROOT PROJECT, A THIRD WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS IN THE GREAT LAKES, AND A VIRTUAL WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON CLIMATE JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM.IN PERSON PROGRAMMING:SEJ POST-CONFERENCE TOUR: SOUTH TEXAS COAST 2022IJNR, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS, PRESENTED THE 2022 SEJ POST-CONFERENCE TOUR ON THE SOUTH TEXAS COAST FROM APRIL 3-5. THE GROUP SPENT TWO AND A HALF DAYS IN AND AROUND CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, EXPLORING A VARIETY OF TOPICS INCLUDING GULF ECOLOGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, FISHERIES, PETROCHEMICAL IMPACTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.WILDFIRE ON THE RANGE 2022IN MAY, WE HOSTED A TWO-DAY IN-PERSON WORKSHOP IN BOISE, FOCUSED ON WILDFIRE IN RANGELAND. FIFTEEN JOURNALISTS HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET WITH EXPERTS, TRAVEL INTO THE FIELD, AND HEAR FIRST-HAND FROM THOSE TASKED WITH MANAGING FIRE AND MITIGATING ITS IMPACTS.TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE 2022IJNR HOSTED A TWO-DAY, THREE-NIGHT WORKSHOP ON TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND GREAT LAKES RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, FROM JUNE 26-28 IN DULUTH, MINN., WITH EXCURSIONS TO VISIT WITH AND LEARN FROM TRIBAL RESOURCE MANAGERS AND THEIR FEDERAL, STATE AND ACADEMIC COUNTERPARTS. THE WORKSHOP OFFERED PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW BOTH ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE AND NEW RESEARCH ARE SHAPING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GREAT LAKES AND THE LANDS AROUND THEM.REPORTING ON WATER 2022IJNR, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UPROOT PROJECT, HOSTED A TWO-DAY, THREE-NIGHT PROGRAM AUGUST 21-23 FOR 14 JOURNALISTS OF COLOR INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT COVERING THE ENVIRONMENT. PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO EARLY CAREER JOURNALISTS, AS WELL AS VETERAN JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE RECENTLY SWITCHED TO THE ENVIRONMENT BEAT. PARTICIPATING JOURNALISTS STAYED AT STONE LABORATORY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY'S ISLAND CAMPUS ON LAKE ERIE, WHILE THEY LEARNED ABOUT REPORTING ON WATER FROM LEADING FRESHWATER SCIENTISTS AND VETERAN ENVIRONMENT JOURNALISTS.VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING:GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVEA TWO-DAY VIRTUAL WORKSHOP JAN. 26-27 THAT INTRODUCED JOURNALISTS TO THE INS AND OUTS OF THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE, A MULTI-AGENCY PROGRAM CHARGED WITH CONSERVING AND RESTORING THE SYSTEM THAT HOLDS 84 PERCENT OF ALL THE FRESH SURFACE WATER IN NORTH AMERICA. BOLSTERED BY BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, THE INITIATIVE WILL RECEIVE MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT 4 YEARS - BEGGING THE QUESTION OF HOW AND WHERE THAT MONEY SHOULD BE ALLOCATED. THE GROUP HEARD FROM SCIENTISTS, TRIBAL LEADERS, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, CITIZENS AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT SOME POSSIBILITIES - TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND AREAS OF CONCERN, INVASIVE SPECIES, NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION'S IMPACT ON HEALTH, AND HOW TO PLAN FOR THE RESTORATION OF HABITATS AND SPECIES. TWENTY-FIVE JOURNALISTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE GREAT LAKES BASIN PARTICIPATED, AND HEARD FROM 14 EXPERT SPEAKERS.OCEAN + CLIMATE IN ALASKA - FEBRUARY 23-24A TWO-DAY VIRTUAL WORKSHOP FEB. 23-24 CONTINUED AND COMPLETED THE SERIES OF OCEAN AND CLIMATE-RELATED PROGRAMS WE HELD IN 2021, FOCUSING ON THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ALASKA'S OCEAN, WHERE WARMING WATERS AND DECREASING SEA ICE ARE HAVING A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE ANIMALS THAT CALL THE PLACE HOME, THE FISHERY THAT PRODUCES HALF OF THE FISH CAUGHT IN THE U.S. EACH YEAR, AND THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THAT CONTINUE TO RELY ON THESE FOOD SOURCES. THE GROUP LEARNED ABOUT THE LOSS OF BERING SEA ICE, SHIFTING FISH DISTRIBUTION, THE CHALLENGES OF MANAGING A RAPIDLY CHANGING FISHERY, EFFORTS TO INCLUDE INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION IN STATE AND FEDERAL DECISION MAKING, THE SCIENCE BEHIND ALASKA'S ERRATIC SALMON RUNS, ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS BY-CATCH, AND AND THE INDIGENOUS-LED PRIBILOF ISLANDS MARINE ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE. TWENTY-SEVEN JOURNALISTS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. PARTICIPATED, AND HEARD FROM 15 EXPERT SPEAKERS.CLIMATE JUSTICE + ENVIRONMENTAL RACISMA TWO-DAY VIRTUAL WORKSHOP NOVEMBER 17-18 FOCUSED ON THE WAYS A CHANGING CLIMATE EXACERBATES HISTORIC INJUSTICES, AS EXTREME STORMS, EXTENDED DROUGHTS AND RISING SEAS LEAVE DISENFRANCHISED AND NEGLECTED COMMUNITIES SCRAMBLING TO ADAPT. WHILE HIGHLIGHTING LONGSTANDING PROBLEMS, THE WORKSHOP ALSO PROVIDED EXAMPLES OF THE PEOPLE AND PLACES WORKING TOWARD A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE FUTURE. THE GROUP LEARNED ABOUT FEDERAL EFFORTS TO ADDRESS INEQUALITIES AND PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE, THE IMPACTS OF EXTREME PRECIPITATION ON CITIES WITH INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW SOME COMMUNITIES ARE STRUGGLING TO ACCESS CLEAN DRINKING WATER, HOW HEAT WAVES ARE BECOMING A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, CLIMATE IMPACTS ON FOOD SYSTEMS, AND HOW TO EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH SEA LEVEL RISE. TWENTY-FIVE JOURNALISTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA PARTICIPATED, AND HEARD FROM THIRTEEN EXPERT SPEAKERS. AS THIS WORKSHOP ONLY JUST HAPPENED LAST MONTH, WE HAVE YET TO SEE ANY POST-PROGRAM STORIES.