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31-413: Earth Island Institute publishes a quarterly periodical entitled Earth Island Journal , edited by Maureen Nandini Mitra. Content is largely dedicated to investigative pieces and showcases environmental grassroots movements as well as environmental reporting and commentary from around the world. The publication has received industry awards for "uncovering stories ignored by larger media outlets," including

62-693: A 2019 Izzy Award for independent media. Earth Island has presented the Brower Youth Awards, named for founder David Brower, to six young environmental leaders since 2000. Earth Island Institute is the standard-bearer for dolphin-safe tuna labeling in the United States . The organization works to verify or reject domestic tuna as dolphin-safe. Earth Island Institute sponsors a number of fledgling activist groups which it refers to as Incubator Projects . Many have gone on to become independent 501(c)(3) organizations while others remain under

93-429: A general understanding of current environmental concerns, and the ability to communicate information to the public in a way that is easily understood. Environmental journalism falls within the scope of environmental communication . Its roots can be traced to nature writing . One controversy in environmental journalism is, how to distinguish the genre from its allied disciplines. While the practice of nature writing has

124-554: A lively membership network of journalists and academics. The SEJ has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency for its policy of restricting independent scientists who advise the agency from talking to media outlets without the Agency's permission. The SEJ is frequently accused on conservative blogs of being "unwilling to think or report critically about environmental issues". The editor of one of

155-442: A local villagers' association claimed that villagers had to kill the dolphins to trade the meat and teeth for money to survive in the local economy. Earth Island Institute Director Lawrence Makili accused the association of mishandling the first $ 300,000 invested under the original MOU. Makili accused the villagers' association of seizing funds and failing to distribute them. Environmental journalism Environmental journalism

186-407: A rich history that dates back at least as far as the exploration narratives of Christopher Columbus , and follows tradition up through prominent nature writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in the late 19th century, John Burroughs and John Muir in the early 20th century, and Aldo Leopold in the 1940s, the field of environmental journalism did not begin to take shape until

217-516: Is a high-risk profession, as journalists often face threats while reporting from remote and hazardous locations on issues such as deforestation and pollution . Over the past 15 years, the 2024 UNESCO report documents a concerning rise in attacks on environmental journalists worldwide, with 749 incidents, including 44 murders, of which only five resulted in convictions. The report identifies state and private actors, as well as criminal groups, as major sources of these threats, which severely undermine

248-476: Is all of the forms of communication that are engaged with the social debate about environmental issues and problems. Also within the scope of environmental communication are the genres of nature writing , science writing, environmental literature, environmental interpretation and environmental advocacy. While there is a great deal of overlap among the various genres within environmental communication, they are each deserving of their own definition. Nature writing

279-443: Is not derived from environmental interpretation, it can employ interpretive techniques to explain difficult concepts to its audience. Environmental literature is writing that comments intelligently on environmental themes, particularly as applied to the relationships between man, society and the environment. Most nature writing and some science writing falls within the scope of environmental literature. Often, environmental literature

310-400: Is not limited to, some of the following topics: From The Reporter's Environmental Handbook : From EnviroLink : Society of Environmental Journalists The Society of Environmental Journalists is a non-profit national journalism organization created by and for journalists who report environmental topics in the news media. On its website, the organization says that "SEJ’s mission

341-422: Is pleasurable (to engage an audience in the topic and inspire them to learn more about it), relevant (meaningful and personal to the audience so that they have an intrinsic reason to learn more about the topic), organized (easy to follow and structured so that main points are likely to be remembered) and thematic (the information is related to a specific, repetitious message) (Ham 8–28). While environmental journalism

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372-486: Is the collection, verification, production, distribution and exhibition of information regarding current events, trends, and issues associated with the non-human world. To be an environmental journalist, one must have an understanding of scientific language. The individual needs to put to use their knowledge of historical environmental events. One must have the ability to follow environmental policy decisions and environmental organizations. An environmental journalist should have

403-505: Is the genre with the longest history in environmental communication. In his book, This Incomparable Land: A Guide to American Nature Writing , Thomas J. Lyon attempts to use a "taxonomy of nature writing" in order to define the genre. He suggests that his classifications, too, suffer a great deal of overlap and intergrading. "The literature of nature has three main dimensions to it: natural history information, personal responses to nature, and philosophical interpretation of nature" (Lyon 20). In

434-544: Is to strengthen the quality, reach and viability of journalism across all media to advance public understanding of environmental issues." The Society of Environmental Journalists was founded in 1990 by a small group of award-winning journalists, including reporters, editors, and producers working for The Philadelphia Inquirer , USA Today , Turner Broadcasting , Minnesota Public Radio , and National Geographic . Today , SEJ's membership includes more than 1,500 journalists and academics working in every type of news media in

465-509: Is understood to espouse care and concern for the environment, thus advocating a more thoughtful and ecologically sensitive relationship of man to nature. Environmental journalism is partially derived from environmental literature Environmental advocacy is presenting information on nature and environmental issues that is decidedly opinionated and encourages its audience to adopt more environmentally sensitive attitudes, often more biocentric worldviews. Environmental advocacy can be present in any of

496-539: The 1960s and 1970s, raising public awareness of what many considered to be the "environmental crisis", and working to influence environmental policy decisions. The mass media has followed and generated public interest on environmental issues ever since. The field of environmental journalism was further legitimized by the creation of the Society of Environmental Journalists [1] in 1990, whose mission "is to advance public understanding of environmental issues by improving

527-474: The 1960s and 1970s. The growth of environmental journalism as a profession roughly parallels that of the environmental movement, which became a mainstream cultural movement with the publication of Rachel Carson 's Silent Spring in 1962 and was further legitimized by the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. Grassroots environmental organizations made a booming appearance on the political scene in

558-534: The United States, Canada, Mexico and 27 other countries. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, SEJ provides educational opportunities and vital support to journalists of all media who face the challenging responsibility of covering complex environmental issues. SEJ operating and project budgets are underwritten through a combination of foundation grants based on SEJ proposals (emphasis on general, unrestricted support), university sponsorships of

589-661: The aforementioned genres of environmental communication. It is currently debated whether environmental journalism should employ techniques of environmental advocacy. The field of environmental journalism covers a wide variety of topics. According to The Reporter's Environmental Handbook , environmental journalists perceive water concerns as the most important environmental issue, followed by atmospheric air pollution concerns, endocrine disruptors, and waste management issues. The journalists surveyed were more likely to prioritize specific, local environmental issues than global environmental concerns. Environmental journalism can include, but

620-716: The annual conference, media company contributions, earned income from dues and fees for services (including exhibits, ad space and single use rental of the mail list/email distribution listserv) and earnings from individual gifts to the endowment fund. SEJ does not seek or accept gifts or grants from government agencies, non-media corporations or environmental advocacy groups. Lobbyists and public relations professionals are not eligible for membership in SEJ. All are welcome to subscribe to SEJournal and participate in SEJ's annual conferences. SEJ provides support to journalists of all media in their efforts to responsibly cover complex issues concerning

651-507: The community of environmental journalists. Some, including those in the Society of Environmental Journalists, believe in objectively reporting environmental news, while others, like Michael Frome, a prominent figure in the field, believe that journalists should only enter the environmental side of the field if saving the planet is a personal passion, and that environmental journalists should not shy away from environmental advocacy, though not at

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682-505: The content is similar to that of the natural history and personal experience essays, "but the mode of presentation tends to be more abstract and scholarly" (Lyon 25). The Norton Book of Nature Writing adds a few new dimensions to the genre of nature writing, including animal narratives, garden essays, farming essays, ecofeminist works, writing on environmental justice , and works advocating environmental preservation, sustainability and biological diversity. Environmental journalism pulls from

713-414: The dissemination of essential environmental information. This situation is further exacerbated by the spread of climate-related disinformation on social media. Additionally, a survey involving more than 900 environmental journalists revealed that 70% had experienced threats related to their work, highlighting the grave and widespread challenges facing journalists in this field. There exists a minor rift in

744-582: The environment. SEJ offers educational programs and services for working journalists, educators, and students, including annual and regional conferences; a daily EJToday news service; a quarterly SEJournal; a biweekly TipSheet and other publications; the FOI WatchDog project; the SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment; members-only listservs; a mentoring program; website-based resources; and

775-494: The environment. Environmental journalism also pulls from the tradition and scope of science writing. Environmental interpretation is a particular format for the communication of relevant information. It "involves translating the technical language of a natural science or related field into terms and ideas that people who aren't scientists can readily understand. And it involves doing it in a way that's entertaining and interesting to these people" (Ham 3). Environmental interpretation

806-430: The expense of clearly relating facts and opinions on all sides of an issue. This debate is not likely to be settled soon, but with changes in the field of journalism filtering up from new media being used by the general public to produce news, it seems likely that the field of environmental journalism will lend itself more and more toward reporting points of view akin to environmental advocacy. Environmental communication

837-403: The natural history essay, "the main burden of the writing is to convey pointed instruction in the facts of nature," such as with the ramble-type nature writing of John Burroughs (Lyon 21). "In essays of experience, the author's firsthand contact with nature is the frame for the writing," as with Edward Abbey's contemplation of a desert sunset (Lyon 23). In the philosophical interpretation of nature,

868-422: The organization's online publications replies that the SEJ "has worked hard to uphold the distinction between environmental journalism and environmentalism", and notes that its members have produced "countless instances of fair, impartial, and incisive reporting". Objectivity as Independence: Creating the Society of Environmental Journalists, 1989–1997, by John Palen, provides an in-depth look at SEJ's creation and

899-426: The quality, accuracy, and visibility of environmental reporting." Today, academic programs are offered at a number of institutions to train budding journalists in the rigors, complexity and sheer breadth of environmental journalism Environmental journalism plays a vital role in addressing global crises like climate change and biodiversity loss , educating the public and holding policymakers accountable. However, it

930-458: The tradition and scope of nature writing. Science writing is writing that focuses specifically on topics of scientific study, generally translating jargon that is difficult for those outside a particular scientific field to understand into language that is easily digestible. This genre can be narrative or informative. Not all science writing falls within the bounds of environmental communication, only science writing that takes on topics relevant to

961-816: The umbrella of the institute. As of March 2017, the following organizations were projects of Earth Island Institute before leaving to continue their environmental work as independent organizations: In January 2013, Fanalei villagers on the island of Malaita in the Solomon Islands slaughtered 700 dolphins after villagers refused to renew a memorandum of understanding with Earth Island Institute that expired in April 2012. Villagers claim EII promised them $ 2.4 million Solomon Island Dollars (about $ 335,000 U.S.) to stop trading dolphins and dolphin-derived products for two years, but only received $ 700,000. Chairman Atkin Fakaia of

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