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Outdoor writers award scholarships to MSU J-School students

Two Knight Center for Environmental Journalism students have won 2019 Toyota Let’s Go Places Scholarships from the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association.

Angela Mulka and Andrew Blok recently each received a $1,200 scholarship and a two-year, non-voting membership in the organization. The group is comprised of outdoor writers, hunters, fishers, hikers and recreational boaters.

Angela Mulka

Both Michigan State University students are reporters for the Knight Center’s environmental news service, Great Lakes Echo.

Mulka has a summer communications internship with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. She plans to apply the scholarship to college expenses as she enters her senior year pursuing a degree in journalism.

Andrew Blok

Blok, a masters student in journalism specializing in the environment, has a summer internship with Environmental Health News. He plans to use the award to buy microphones and a camera to diversify into audio and visual reporting.

The Conversation with Knight Center director

Litter in the streets by Nutsa Chubinidze

Knight Center director Eric Freedman’s latest article for The Conversation examines the troubled state of environmental journalism in the Republic of Georgia, a strategically important ex-Soviet country in the Caucasus.

The article is based on his research last fall as a Fulbright Scholar teaching journalism at Caucasus University.

As part of their course, his journalism students photographed some of the environmental problems in Tbilisi, the capital. Continue reading

Knight Center supported documentary nominated for Emmy Award

Documentary poster

A Knight Center funded documentary film, “Sh*t Saves the world”, is nominated for an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Michigan Chapter.

The nomination is for the film trailer.

Director Troy Hale, Producer/Editor Zoe Kissel, and Producer Geri Alumit Zeldes will attend the award ceremony June 15th.  The film is a humor and informational, look into impact of people our planet.  The project brings to light subjects that are not often discussed… at least not at the dinner table.  Adding an element of humor allows the film to have a wider audience interest, than a traditional environmental documentary.

https://vimeo.com/331732284

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Student environmental reporting wins SPJ prize

Andrew Blok and Kurt Williams

Two master’s students at Michigan State University, Kurt Williams and Andrew Blok, won first place in the Online Reporting category at the recent Region 4 meeting of the Society of Professional Journalists in Cleveland.

Williams and Blok received a Mark of Excellence award for their reporting titled “Algal Blooms in the Great Lakes: Investigating efforts to protect and preserve water quality.” The award recognizes the finest in collegiate journalism in Region 4, which encompasses Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Their project now moves on to the national Society of Professional Journalists competition.

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