Category Archives: Researcher stories

Knight Center to host speaker on energy and politics

David Spence

David Spence

David Spence, a professor of energy regulation at the University of Texas Austin, will speak on “The Misunderstood Politics of the U.S. Energy Transition” on Thursday, Sept. 5, from noon until 1.p.m.

Spence’s free public presentation will take place in Room 191 of the Communication Arts & Sciences Building.

He will discuss his new book, Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship (Columbia University Press).

“The problem is not that elected politicians are unresponsive to voters, but that changes in electoral competition and the information environment have made politicians more responsive to the most negatively partisan voters, who in turn drive public (mis)understanding of the clean energy transition as a political challenge,” Spence says.

Earlier in the day he will talk with students in the Environmental Reporting class.

 

Fall opportunities: Environmental journalism jobs and scholarships for MSU journalism students.

The MSU Knight Center’s initiative to diversify reporters and reporting on environmental challenges offers significant scholarships, training and jobs that benefit emerging and diverse student journalists in any field.

 One focus of the program is on building expertise with paid opportunities to cover environmental threats that particularly harm marginalized communities. We’re looking for students who contribute to diversity to report on how environmental decisions threaten social justice, civil rights, the health and values of diverse communities.

The expertise of journalists is their lived experience. When it is diverse, better reporting happens and better decisions are made about environmental threats.

The program does not require environmental experience.

Right now the program is soliciting candidates for two programs:

  • A three-credit scholarship for three MSU journalism students to enroll in an MSU environmental reporting classes  (JRN 472) in Fall 2024. These classes can meet graduation requirements. They are worth $1,800.
  • A paid job reporting for the center’s award-winning Great Lakes Echo news service. Gain reporting experience, training and a paycheck. Get published by GreatLakesEcho.org and other major news providers.

The deadline for both programs is September 10.

Interested? Before midnight September 10, 2024, send to MSU Knight Center at mille384@msu.edu:

  • a resume.
  • copies of or links to up to any three stories you’ve produced for publication or class.
  • contact information for one reference and how you know that person.
  • about 250 words on how your background and lived experience brings diversity to environmental reporting. You may be culturally or racially diverse or you may list evidence of experience or interest in diversity or suggest environmental story ideas that exhibit such interest.

These programs may help you better qualify for more opportunities in Spring 2025, including internships and conference travel. The deadlines and details will be announced after the first of the year. These opportunities include:

  • Interview for paid summer environmental reporting internships exclusively provided to MSU students who contribute to diversity. They are offered by Bridge Michigan, Detroit Public Television, Michigan Public Radio, Circle of Blue and Planet Detroit
  • At least two students contributing to diversity will receive fully funded trips to the weeklong Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference next spring in Arizona.

While not required, participation in the environmental classes or as a Great Lakes Echo reporter will better qualify you for the internships and the conference.

More about this program here. Questions: Eric Freedman at freedma5@msu.edu

 

Knight Center researchers win paper award for study on Latin America at 2024 AEJMC Conference

Knight Center’s Research Director Bruno Takahashi and doctoral researcher Iasmim Amiden dos Santos won first place in the Latin American Communication Research and Researchers Award at the 2024 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference.

Their paper titled “Building Bridges: A Narrative Literature Review of Spanish and Portuguese Language Climate Change Communication Scholarship from Latin America,” won the award offered by the International Communication Division of AEJMC. The paper was co-authored with María Fernanda Salas from the Universidad de Costa Rica.

In this study, they present the main trends in climate change communication research in the region, highlighting the significant contributions of Latin American scholars to the field. Their goal is to build bridges between academics from the Global North and South.

Iasmim Amiden dos Santos and Bruno Takahashi receiving the award

From right to left: Bruno Takahashi, Iasmim Amiden dos Santos and Maria Fernanda Salas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year to participate in the SciComm Identities Project Fellowship – apply now!

WHAT: A year-long fellowship developed by University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute, Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and the URI Science & Story Lab to develop your voice and skills as a science communicator through a variety of media, including podcasting! SCIP is designed to test a novel science communication training curriculum based in intercultural communication and culturally responsive pedagogy.

WHO: Pre-tenure faculty from underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds at U.S. academic institutions, who study issues related to climate change and agriculture, aquaculture, or food insecurity. We encourage applications from varied disciplines in social and natural sciences and engineering.

WHERE: Fellows are required to participate in two in-person, weeklong workshops held in January and July, as well as five virtual trainings throughout the year. Lodging expenses for the in-person workshops are pre-paid. Travel and per diem will be reimbursed.

WHEN: Apply by September 23, 2024. The 2025 Fellowship runs January-December, 2025.

WHY: Access mentorship, peer community, resources, new networks, and the skills and confidence to communicate your work and its impact to the world. Level up in your storytelling – and your career – while learning how to craft a more compelling tenure narrative that communicates the value of science communication. Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 for their commitment, split in two payments after the in-person workshops.

The SciComm Identities Project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DRL-2115971 and DRL-2115522. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.