Prior to my internship, I wasn’t too interested in the environment and wasn’t sure what stories needed to be told. It only took a little under a week for me to understand the severity of how many stories were craving to be published. I was never extensively searching for a story pitch because there was always something happening.
But then I began to understand that most of the general public was, like myself prior to my internship; uninterested in the environment. Which broke my heart because without a healthy environment, we would cease to exist. While also considering the amount of environmental journalists compared to regular journalists, my mind was blown. I knew I was playing a very important role in society by sharing stories that weren’t being told.
My biggest skill that I’ve learned is that there’s always more than what meets the eye. This can be interpreted a lot of ways, including types of stories being shared, what’s happening in the world or even what someone is saying. It’s our job to dive deeper and provide context to any situation. This is true for all types of journalism.
I’ve had my fair share of stories, but there’s a few favorites that definitely stick out to me. These include
- MSU researchers enlisting the help of volunteers to help document coastal erosion. https://www.wkar.org/environment/2021-06-10/msu-researchers-enlisting-volunteers-to-document-coastal-erosion-in-mi
- MSU dedicating a new space on campus for research and protection of pollinators. Where I got to suit up and observe beehives that were being taken care of by the proposed new facility.
McCoy Scribner
- And my personal favorite, the Emterra Material Recovery Facility opening in the mid-Michigan region. In this feature, I was able to provide in-depth coverage of a new recycling sorting facility that opened in Lansing for the Lansing and East Lansing communities. https://www.wkar.org/wkar-news/2021-08-20/emterra-material-recovery-facility-opens-in-the-mid-michigan-region
If there’s ever an opportunity to become an environmental journalist, I highly recommend taking the opportunity and running with it. My experience has been absolutely incredible.