This month’s journalism webinar marked the second in a series exploring innovative ways to fund reporting on science, health and the environment. This time, we looked at the field of environmental reporting and heard about successful partnerships and scalable models.
It comes at an important time for MIF, as we just announced a new focus on programming around the environment in the coming year in response to the increasingly urgent need to address global climate change. (See our list of events.)
We heard from:
Diane Ives, Fund Advisor at the Kendeda Fund, a long-standing funder of environmental journalism, shared details about Kendeda’s support for various environmental reporting outlets. Ives identified several strategies for how Kendeda approaches its support of media that reaches environmental issues.
Justin Kenney, communications consultant for the environment at the Walton Family Foundation, discussed Walton’s support for environmental journalism, including reporter trainings, a coastal desk at the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Brady Piñero Walkinshaw and Andrew Simon of Grist talked about their involvement in collaborative efforts in environmental reporting, including creative content partnerships and a new initiative around diversity and environmental media. Grist is centered on three main themes that include finding solutions, creating equity, and empowering and activating people to take action.
Philip Johnson, Environment and Health Program Director for The Heinz Endowments, will discuss support for Environmental Health News and other environmental journalism initiatives funded by Heinz.
Kaitlin Yarnall Chief Storytelling Officer and Senior Vice President at National Geographic, described National Geographic’s collaborative environmental reporting partnership with Lenfest Institute and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Watch the webinar:
