An Early History of Environmental Reporting and Public Relations by DAVID B
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Fall 2002 SEJournal The Quarterly Publication of the Society of Environmental Journalists Vol. 12 No. 2 The birth of environmental journalism With this story by environmental journalism historian David Sachsman and a story inside on Lewis and Clark as one of our earliest “environmental journalists,” the SEJournal begins a new effort to highlight some early movers and doers of environ- mental reporting. An early history of environmental reporting and public relations By DAVID B. SACHSMAN ences to “today” have been changed to coverage of environmental issues had “the early 1970s,” etc. evolved. Newspapers, magazines, books, David B. Sachsman, the George R. and broadcast outlets offered the public a West, Jr. Chair of Excellence in Throughout most of the Sixties, stream of information and opinion, much Communication and Public Affairs at the unless a river was on fire or a major city of which treated ecology seriously if not University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was in the midst of a weeklong smog intelligently or completely. By then, wrote his doctoral dissertation on Public alert, pollution was commonly accepted both the media and the general popula- Relations Influence on Environmental by both the press and the general popula- tion were aware that there was such a Coverage (In the San Francisco Bay tion as a fact of life. Until the late thing as an “environmental issue,” and Area) at Stanford University in the early Sixties, conservationists were thought of many mass media outlets transmitted 1970s. What follows is the beginning of as eccentric woodsmen and environmen- environmental information and opinion the Introduction of that thesis, an early talists were considered unrealistic to their publics. history of the development of environ- prophets of doom. What Rachel Carson had written ment reporting and public relations from Times have changed. By the early about in “Silent Spring” in 1962 finally the end of World War II to the early 1970s, environmental problems con- became a hot news story in 1969. 1970s. To make it easier to read, refer- cerned many Americans. Mass media (Continued on page 14) Inside Story Mobile Register shows U.S. fails to protect seafood eaters from mercury By ROBERT MCCLURE Gulf seafood and seafood eaters. Like many great projects, Ben Raines had to do his own testing to Raines’ year-long reporting on mercury achieve results. The Register first tested contamination in the Gulf of Mexico fish, then people. The results showed started with a hunch. that the government was failing to pro- While his wife prepared fish one tect consumers from contaminated night for their son, she asked her seafood. In fact, the government had reporter-husband: How do you know failed to check on the presence of the this fish doesn’t have high levels of toxin in many fish despite obvious indi- mercury? cations that they would be susceptible to The answer to that question led such contamination. Raines and his newspaper, The Mobile Soon after Raines’ reports, some of (Ala.) Register, on a quest for answers the world’s leading mercury researchers that now is reaping great rewards. launched a health study in the Mobile Besides a handful of journalism prizes, area. States along the Gulf Coast formed including the National Press Club’s a task force to deal with the problem. At Robert L. Kozik Award for this writing, the National Marine SEJ 12th Annual Conference in Environmental Writing, Raines’ stories Fisheries Service is testing some 2,500 Baltimore, Oct. 9-13. See page 6. have sparked rounds of new testing of fish samples, and the Food and Drug © Copyright 2002 the Society of Environmental Journalists, P.O. Box 2492 Jenkintown, PA 19046 (Continued on page 17) Saying ‘so long’ and thanks for SEJ’s volunteers Let me complain for a moment. next year, the group has also already terrific conference in 2004 at Carnegie As I write this, it is 9:30 p.m., and begun to produce tangible products for Mellon University in Pittsburgh. my editors just told me I need to finish SEJ members and the larger journalism Last winter, Michael Rivlin spear- four weeks of reporting for a project in community. headed the hugely successful and well- two. Mike Mansur, the SEJournal editor, It has been monitoring and speaking attended Baltimore-to-Boston Briefing— has just reminded me that I’m several out on First Amendment threats from so- giving SEJ a highly visible presence in days late submitting this column. There called “Homeland Security” measures—a the media-rich Northeast. are many other Society of Environmental first for SEJ. Task force members have And many SEJ members are scram- Journalists tasks that await. compiled information on EPA press poli- bling to fill their roles in helping to make Meanwhile, my wife and I have cies to member Audrey Cooper, who pre- the content of our annual conference in developed a long list of projects we want pared an article on them for other pages Baltimore this fall top notch. There are to complete in our new (but 102-year-old) in this SEJournal. (See page 12.) And panels and tours to organize, beat lunches home. Especially in the last couple of member Duff Wilson, whose tools-rich and breakfasts to host and other tasks. years, she has occasionally accused me of computer desktop graces many reporters’ No volunteer knows more about having an affair—with SEJ. VDTs, has drafted a tools-rich FOIA cor- what goes into putting on SEJ’s “big It’s not easy volunteering on top of a ner for the SEJ Web site, www.sej.org. show” than board member Tim Wheeler, busy, demanding job as a professional Duff will serve as FOIA liaison with who has nursed this baby from concep- journalist and desires to maintain one’s Investigative Reporters and Editors’ First tion several years ago. marriage and family. The list goes on. There are too many What’s good, however, is that I’m Report from the people for me to single out in this column. not alone. Suffice it to say that I want to personally To be sure, SEJ has a crackerjack Society’s President thank every one of you who have given staff that, like a fine cabernet, only gets time and energy to helping build SEJ dur- better with time. But this organization is ing these past two years that I’ve served also thriving because it has dozens of as president. You have made many things members who sneak some significant SEJ possible—including the prospect for a public service in during their workdays, continued bright future. (If you are not over their lunch hours or at home in the currently volunteering, and you want evening. some ideas on what you can do, visit This fact makes me feel especially By http://www.sej.org/about/index8.htm). good right now, as I come to the end of a James As for my own volunteerism, I often challenging and especially rewarding ask myself why I have bothered. two-year stint as president of SEJ. This Bruggers I have lived for certain SEJ moments organization is in good hands. that I know will stick with me forever. I feel confident that the SEJ staff and Amendment committee. Both our organi- One was the tour to the Mexican bor- its volunteer board are making it easier zations will benefit from such cooperation. der at our Tucson conference, where I saw for others to volunteer their services. And Another example is our new awards first-hand the real product of “free I also know that SEJ is only limited by program. While demanding much of trade”—the pollution problems and miser- the amount of volunteerism that we can staff, the awards program is also a volun- able living conditions of Mexican workers marshal. teer-rich effort. who make the conveniences of modern One thing to remember: This organi- Board member Dan Fagin, for exam- life for their rich northern neighbors. zation grows from all of us—the grassroots ple, labored over the early drafts of an Another was more private: while on of environmental journalism—and espe- awards program proposal and rules late a scouting visit for a future annual con- cially because enough of us have stepped into many evenings last year. And this ference, having dinner with University forward to give of our precious time. year, a volunteer awards committee, led of California international lake expert It can come in the form of taking the by board members Perry Beeman and Charles Goldman. We shared a lake time to share a story idea with TipSheet; Natalie Pawelski, guided a splendid num- trout he had caught earlier that day from to submit a story to EJToday, at the SEJ ber of entries through a judging process his beloved Tahoe; we listened to him Web site; or to answer a colleague’s call that will only bring greater attention to recite poetry. for help on SEJ-TALK—the listserv for the best in environmental coverage. But, most important, I come back to members only. Members Orna Izakson and Dawn the cause of promoting journalism. Most recently, members have been Stover have launched a mentoring pro- Journalism is a noble calling, and it is giving of their time on the new SEJ First gram that seems to have legs, as they say under siege from all sides. To go into Amendment Task Force, which already in this business. detail would take another column. Suffice has a mission and a work plan developed Member Don Hopey has been quietly it to say that for most journalists, it has under the leadership of member Ken working behind the scenes to lay the grown much harder to do high quality, in- Ward Jr.