Journalism & Media

SEJ's strategic planning retreat started with gumbo ya-ya and ended with new vision and mission statements, and new marching orders for our almost- 20-year-old organization. Read more from SEJ President Christy George.

 By MICHAEL MANSUR

A prestigious group of journalists has been named to judge the newly established Grantham Prize, North America's largest journalism prize established to recognize reporting on the environment.

The Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment will provide a $75,000 cash award each year to one journalist or a team of journalists in recognition of exemplary reporting on the environment.

 By KEN WARD Jr.

I know that a lot of folks are down on TRI, and I agree that the data is not perfect. But I'm also terribly concerned that we as environmental reporters don't use it frequently enough (or well enough) and particularly frightened about EPA's proposals to cut back on the program. I also know that some of the best stories I do are based in some way on TRI data. It's still simply the best basic set of pollution numbers we have. Here's my latest example of how TRI helped me make a so-so story into a darned good one.

 By DAVID HELVARG

Not surprisingly this year's SEJ Conference in Austin, Texas, was overshadowed by a singular but all too predictable disaster, the lack of affordable booze at SEJ events.

Ironically, the last really boozy SEJ conference was in New Orleans where I recall Mark Schleifstein ominously predicting that someday we'd end up meeting in Texas. If only we'd listened to his warnings.

 By PERRY BEEMAN

SEJ's truly marvelous family of committed journalists, educators and other friends came out of the Austin conference with the usual amazement about all the talent, helpfulness and great work that our members exude.