Category Archives: Students

 
Journalism and non-journalism students at Michigan State University explore how to better report environmental issues to the public at the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.
 

Environmental journalism courses can help students meet the School of Journalism’s elective requirements. They can also be used as part of an environmental theme to complete the school’s concentration requirement by combining them with environment-related courses outside the journalism program. See your academic adviser or contact the Knight Center.
 
Non-journalism students interested in environmental issues are encouraged to contact instructors to discuss waiver of pre-requisites. Often a journalism environmental course may meet communication course requirements of other departments.
 

 
Undergraduates are also encouraged to join the student Environmental Journalism Association and write for Great Lakes Echo to gain resume-building experience and clips.
 
Undergraduate students are eligible for several awards and scholarships in environmental journalism.
 
They are encouraged to augment their study with environment classes and programs elsewhere at MSU such as the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment.
 
 

Knight Center student wins Iceland reporting trip

By Finn Hopkins

Recent MSU graduate Cassidy Hough (far right) poses alongside other 2023 Storyfest winners.
Credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark/Lindblad Expeditions

A Michigan State University student recently won a climate change reporting trip to Iceland in a national journalism contest.

Cassidy Hough won first place in the “Best Use of Science or Data” category of the competition with a report on perennial grains for the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism’s Food Fix podcast.

Judges recently announced the winners of the annual national Storyfest competition for exemplary work covering stories on the environment, sustainability and climate change.

Continue reading

MSU Knight Center student’s podcast episode ranked among the top 20 solutions journalism stories by the Solutions Journalism Network

An MSU Knight Center student’s podcast episode ranked among the top 20 solutions journalism stories by the Solutions Journalism Network. What the judges said of the story by Cassidy Hough appearing on the center’s The Food Fix podcast: “It’s not only a great example of student journalism, it also shows…that solutions reporting ‘can — and does — translate well into entertaining and informing podcasting.’ It’s a fun, in-depth and remarkably concise answer to the question, “Could food crops regrow on their own?”

Knight Center students are national finalists for Iceland reporting trip

By Finn Hopkins

Recent MSU graduate Cassidy Hough. Hough is a finalist in the Storyfest 2023 contest for her Food Fix podcast episode “Perennial Grains are the future of sustainable agriculture”

Cameryn Cass graduates from MSU this spring. She is a finalist in the “Best Use of Science or Data” category of Science Fest 2023.

Two Michigan State University School of Journalism students recently were named finalists in a national environmental journalism contest.

Winners of each of five categories of Planet Forward’s Storyfest will be announced on April 20th. Each category winner has the opportunity to travel to Iceland with Lindblad Expeditions to report on the environment with an expert team aboard the National Geographic Resolution.

Recent MSU graduate Cassidy Hough is a finalist in the “Best Use of Science or Data” category of Planet Forward’s Storyfest 2023 contest.

Cameryn Cass, who graduates this spring, is a finalist in the same contest’s category for “Best Scalable Innovation.”

Continue reading

Knight Center Documentary Grant competition for 2023

The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism will award up to 3 grants of $3,500 each to support the making of environment-related documentaries (video, audio or other digital media) b MSU faculty-student teams.

Here are the essentials

Deadline for submission: March 14, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Decisions to be announced approximately March 20, 2023
Open to faculty and students from all departments at MSU.
Maximum award: $3,500 for 1 year.

These must be documentaries, not public service announcements or advocacy pieces.
The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism must be credited for underwriting the project.
The Knight Center will be entitled to use your documentary, including linking on our website and presentation in classes, workshops and other activities.
Allowable expenses include travel, essential equipment, supplies, pay for students and festival & competition entry fees. All expenditures must comply with MSU procedures and rules. Any equipment purchased remains the property of MSU. Grant funds must be expended with one year from the date of approval by MSU Contracts and Grants.

Continue reading