I've been an environmental journalist for more than three decades. I began at the Center for Investigative Reporting, straight out of college, where I learned as a cub reporter from masters of the trade to think of stories as threads of evidence. I quickly learned that investigating those threads on environmental stories ultimately leads to questions of equity and power — who is most frequently exposed to environmental hazards, and who is protected from them. Seeing stories as connected to a larger picture of power and influence contributed to my sustaining interest in environmental journalism, spanning overseas reporting; freelancing; publishing and producing stories in multiple media — print, tv and radio — and returning to CIR as Senior Correspondent for another stint of ten years. There I produced numerous investigations, all spun around environmental topics. Now, I write magazine articles and books and teach at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Recent books include "EXPOSED," an investigation into the health and economic consequences of the US retreat from regulating toxic chemicals; "CARBON SHOCK," revealing the hidden costs and consequences of climate change; and, the most recent, "SEEDS OF RESISTANCE: The Fight to Save Our Food Supply," on the seeds capable of resilience to climatic disruptions and the fight to control them.
As I dig more deeply into these and other related themes I was surprised to discover that I'd become a science journalist. Perhaps this comes to every environmental journalist at some point in their career. For me, it came when I realized how understanding the basic principles of the ecological sciences are critical to grasping the why of doing this work, a way of understanding more deeply why disrupting the inter-connected elements of an ecosystem matters and helping to discern responses that might be the most effective.
I've attended most SEJ conferences since 2017, and presented at a couple of them — and have greatly appreciated the careful thought that has gone into curating the themes and speakers, as well as the central presence of SEJ in the media ecosystem.
If elected, I'd hope to carry some of this sensibility with me into a position on the SEJ board, including:
- Finding ways to highlight the philosophical and ecological underpinnings of this work — which could include, for example, helping to facilitate access to the scientists, philosophers, artists and writers at the forefront of ecological thinking;
- Considering whether there's a role SEJ could play in helping facilitate compelling storytelling on 'solutions' or responses as environmental stresses accelerate, and the demand for such journalism grows;
- Strengthening support to freelancers as media comes evermore to rely on outsourcing;
- Aiding members with strategies for reporting stories for multiple media formats;
- Helping put SEJ at the forefront of reconceptualizing existing 'beats' as climate change intensifies and continues to reshape all journalistic areas of inquiry;
- Building upon SEJ's reach with our fellow journalistic associations — of Black, Latinx, Asian and Native American journalists, for example — all of which represent journalists deeply engaged in environmental reporting, in one form or another.
Thanks for your consideration,
Mark Schapiro
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