November 2024 eNewsletter

Media with Impact: Building a Community-Driven Model for Drinking Water News Coverage
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From left to right: Hira Ahmad, Kausthubh Sumanth, and Francesca Levethan presenting their Master’s project work at the 2024 University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability capstone conference. Photo Credit: David Brenner.

Community-driven environmental reporting is a critical way to generate accurate local news in the Great Lakes region. Unfortunately, due to financial strains and a more centralized, corporate media, there has been less substantive and authentic reporting of frontline environmental justice stories in recent years, particularly in under-served communities. Many journalists lack the knowledge, training, and resources to accurately report on environmental justice issues. To help remedy this situation, there is a growing need and interest to help rebuild media organizations and more equitably uplift the narratives of frontline environmental justice communities.

A Master’s project team from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, in partnership with the Great Lakes regional media outlet Great Lakes Now (GLN), utilized a CIGLR ECO Award to develop an equitable, community-based environmental media model that connects journalists with affected stakeholders. The team did a thorough review of existing resources and an assessment of need through 42 interviews with diverse stakeholders and rights holders to create a comprehensive set of recommendations intended for both media organizations and philanthropic institutions. The group’s key findings are shared in a report and corresponding toolkit. These resources provide recommended goals, strategies, and actions for media organizations and journalists to advance equitable and community-based environmental journalism and amplify the stories of frontline environmental justice communities, with the goal to promote community change and help reinvigorate journalism. This work helped earn team member Hira Ahmad the River Network’s 2024 “Emerging Leader” award. The response from the stakeholders, rights holders, and journalists in this study has been very positive and the toolkit is already being used. We are grateful for the superb work of this student team! Learn more about ECO Awards on our website. Applications for 2025 awards are due on January 31, 2025.