Category Archives: Eric Freedman

Eric Freedman is the director of Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism

What you see is only part of what you get

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SEJ members kayaking in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers delta. Image: Eric Freedman

SEJ members kayaking in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers delta. Image: Eric Freedman


By Eric Freedman
One of the joys of journalism — environmental journalism in particular — is getting out of the office or other writing space and going somewhere, especially outdoors. Not only do we get to interview people face to face but we also become eyewitnesses to events.
And that provides an opportunity to bring audiences with us in words as well as visually and aurally.
Here’s an example from a recent article I wrote for the magazine Earth Island Journal:
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Urban farming in Detroit

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Afro Jam is a revenue-producer for Detroit's Oakland Avenue Urban Farm. Image: Eric Freedman

Afro Jam is a revenue-producer for Detroit’s Oakland Avenue Urban Farm. Image: Eric Freedman


By Eric Freedman
In recent years I’ve read a lot about — and written a little about — urban farming but hadn’t put my boots on the ground at one until recently when I joined MSU faculty members and grad students on a tour of the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm in Detroit’s North End.
It’s a place of contrasts, physical and otherwise. There’s the agricultural activity — raised vegetable and flower beds, pear trees, 120 blueberry bushes, rows of tomato plants, two hoop houses and large piles of compost and mulch. There are bee hives, beets, butterflies, empty small chicken coop and plans for an apple orchard Continue reading →

Knight Center director, grad student, speak to visiting African journalists

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Knight Center Director Eric Freedman discusses press coverage of the presidential election with African journalists

Knight Center Director Eric Freedman discusses press coverage of the presidential election with African journalists


Knight Center director Eric Freedman and environmental journalism master’s student Pechulano Ali were guest speakers at a three-day on-campus program for visiting African journalists sponsored by the State Department and organized by MSU’s Visiting International Professional Program.
Other presenters included Journalism Professor Folu Ogundimu and J-School alumni Danielle Emerson, ’10 and Lauren Gibbons, ’14.
Ten print and broadcast journalists from French-speaking African countries — Mali, Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, Madagascar, Senegal, Guinea, Benin and Cote D’Ivoire — took part in the program which traveled to MSU and other U.S. locations. Continue reading →

Knight Center director speaks in Finland

Knight Center Director Eric Freedman lecturing at University of Turku in Finland.

Knight Center Director Eric Freedman lecturing at University of Turku in Finland.


Knight Center director Eric Freedman recently gave two guest lectures at the University of Turku in Finland, sponsored by its Centre for East Asia Studies.
One lecture explored government efforts, primarily in Asia, to suppress cyber-dissent, including the imprisonment of bloggers and online dissidents, censorship, violation of international human rights, monitoring of blogs and websites, surveillance laws and blocking of oppositional websites.
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