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TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 13

INSIDE SPECIAL REPORT: ENVIRONMENTAL

Inside and Out SEJ gathering to explore beauty NewsproTHE STATE OF TV and issues of Appalachia. Page 14 On the Back Burner The economy has eclipsed as the big issue in politics. Page 18

PBS’ Big ‘Idea’ Ken Burns on his 12-hour series about the history of the National Parks. Page 24

The ‘Heat’ Is On “Frontline” explores global reactions to . Page 26

Sierra Club Resource The venerable environmental group is out to assist . Page 33

The Job Situation How hard are layoffs hitting environmental reporters? Page 36

Eco-Friendly Building A Pittsburgh station sets sights on being first cited by LEED. Page 38

Redford Q&A Sundance founder Robert Redford sees his channel’s mission as that of an educator. Energy, Politics and Climate Change Are on Page 40 the Agenda, but Economics Might Trump Everything Else at SEJ’s 2008 Conference Green Media Giants Corporate parent companies lay out By Debra Kaufman environmental agendas. Page 44 Special to TelevisionWeek The Society of Environmental Journalists convenes its 18th con- Woodruff ferenceference thisthis weekweek inin Roanoke,Roanoke, Va.,Va., thethe heartheart ofof coal-miningcoal-mining countrycountry in ‘Focus’ Bob Woodruff and an apt location for a conference focused on energy issues. talks about his Hosted by Virginia Tech, which is also the conference’s primary new weekly Planet Green sponsor, SEJ 2008 runs Oct. 15-19 and will feature more than 30 series, “Focus panel sessions on the reporter’s craft and on environmental issues Earth.” such as coal, energy, climate, water and land. Page 46 The conference will present 17 field trips and dozens of Polar Ice Melt exhibitors, with welcome addresses by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and MSNBC, CNN examine the impact of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin. Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau, warming at the North Pole. Page 48 ocean explorers and grandchildren of Jacques Cousteau, will co- SEJ Awards host the SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment. Jacques Cousteau’s ocean- Continued on Page 22 exploring grandkids are hosting this year’s presentation. Page 50 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 14 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 4:04 PM Page 1

14 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO THE PLACE WHERE IDEAS HEADQUARTERS Regional issues such as strip mining are likely to loom large with the SEJ event based at the Hotel Roanoke in ARE SHARED Roanoke, Va. SEJ Gathering Helps Journalists Grapple With Covering Complex Issues By Allison J.Waldman that includes dependence on foreign ists Conference. Roanoke & Conference Center with Special to TelevisionWeek oil is a recipe for economic disaster. More than 500 reporters, broad- Virginia Tech in nearby Blacksburg The price at the pump remains In short, energy is one of the casters, new-media and freelance acting as conference host. They will near $4 a gallon. The power grid is most important issues of the day. It news professionals will convene for listen to experts, explore complex vulnerable and aging. According to is also the focus of the 18th annual the event this week in Roanoke, Va., issues, honor environmental lead- all the experts, an American future Society of Environmental Journal- headquartered at the Hotel ers and hone their skills in sessions designed specifically for the envi- ronmental beat. “It’s the best place for getting recharged and for keeping your fin- gers on the pulse of changing issues,” said Jeff Burnside, environ- mental reporter for WTVJ news in Miami and an SEJ board member. The 2007 conference in Palo Alto LOCAL STAR Kathy Mattea, whose new album focuses on THE SOAP AND DETERGENT ASSOCIATION was a record setter, drawing more than 900 media pros. coal mining, will perform. “SEJ is there for the general-assign- ment reporter who is doing that story has an environmental hook—it’s all and needs to know which is traditional mining songs—will per- Your ’s credible and which one is not,” said form for SEJ attendees. Beth Parke, SEJ’s executive director. Another highlight of the SEJ con- source for “The environment is a very broad ference will be the appearance of beat. When you talk in terms of envi- Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau, All Things ronment-related issues, that’s pretty ocean explorers and grandchildren of much everything. Jacques Cousteau. These issues can be They will co-host the highly complex, and SOCIETY OF SEJ Awards for that’s where a group Reporting on the like SEJ can help. ENVIRONMENTAL Environment cere- Our members teach JOURNALISTS mony. “The and help each other What: 18th annual SEJ Cousteaus are spe- sort through the Conference cial guests. They are Call SDA Communications: 202-662-2517 · complexities to Where: Hotel Roanoke the new generation make their report- & Conference Center, of Cousteaus in Online: www.cleaning101.com · ing better.” Roanoke, Va. many respects, and When: Oct. 15-19 yet carry on the email: [email protected] Good Ideas Details: SEJ.org vision and the mis- A reporter who sion of their father, attends the SEJ uncle and grandfa- conference gets more than just a ther,” said Mr. Burnside. “Their father chance to hear speakers, attend is Philippe Cousteau Sr., who was panels and enjoy field trips. “I killed tragically in a plane crash while always come back with a stack of on one of his documentary trips. ideas that I flop on my desk, and I Their uncle is Jean Cousteau, and he’s wade through them over the around and still doing great work.” ensuing days and weeks after the Among the nominees this year in conference,” said Mr. Burnside. the TV reporting category are “Dan “The conference not only gives Rather Reports: Toxic Trailers” about you ideas on how to cover new the FEMA trailers given to Hurricane and developing issues better, but Katrina victims that were actually it also reminds you that there are poisoning those living in them, and others out there doing great “Frontline: Hot Politics,” which looks work.” at the past 20 years of climate This year’s conference will com- change from a political point of view. SDA – Since 1926, the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products IndustryTM mence Oct. 15 with two governors, “Quite frankly, these are the Virginia’s Tim Kaine and West Vir- most important and most thorough 1500 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C 20005 ginia’s Joe Manchin, greeting atten- environmental reporting awards in dees at the Hotel Roanoke. Also, the country, if not the world, and Grammy Award-winning country the ceremony this year will better singer Kathy Mattea, a West Virginia reflect that importance. It’ll be fun,” native whose new album, “Coal,” said Mr. Burnside. TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 15 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 4:33 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 15 OUTDOORS Among the field trips on the agenda for this year’s SEJ conference will be a drive is covering the environ- through the majestic ment for a Web site or a TV station, Blue Ridge mountains. writing for a magazine or working as a freelancer, the knowledge and their notepads with them,” said expertise gained from the confer- Mr. Burnside. “The ence can be invaluable. field trips are a key “We believe in part of SEJ, more than localizing the issues: any other journalism How would someone conferences. You’re not cover this story for only surrounded by their audience?” said , you’re sur- Ms. Parke. “We feel if rounded by experts you’re doing an accu- who can give you a rate job on the story, running narrative of that’s where you what it is you’re seeing start—what is the sto- BETH PARKE and experiencing.” ry? What are the facts? SEJ For five days, SEJ SEJ is here to help the will be the place to be. Whether a journalist do his or her job.” ■

After holding its conference in northern California last year, SEJ chose to accept Virginia Tech’s invitation, even though the uni- versity’s Blacksburg campus still bears the scars of the April 2007 shooting rampage. “Even though this is an environmental journal- ists conference, we’re still journal- ists. I think it would be wholly appropriate to honor and remem- ber the events that happened on Did you know… that campus,” said Mr. Burnside. Presidential politics will be on the agenda at the Saturday lunch session, with both candidates invited to attend or to send their top environmental advisers. In addition, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall II (D-W.Va.) will speak about America’s future envi- ronmental policy. “We’re going to look directly at that whole issue, how the environment is playing out in the political campaign,” said Tim Wheeler, environmental reporter for the Baltimore Sun and president of the SEJ board of directors. “Offshore drilling, endangered species, drilling in [the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge], they’ll come up in a cou- ple of dozen panel discussions planned through the two-day ses- sion.” The field trips that are on tap this year have a strong regional 1 flavor, including exploring Kay- • Paper is the most recycled household material. ford Mountain coal mining, get- • Each ton of recycled paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.2 “We’re going to • By using recovered paper to make new products, AF&PA members prevent the equivalent of more than look directly at ... 23 million tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year.3 how the environ- • In 2007 Americans recycled a record-high 56 percent of all paper consumed in the U.S., surpassing a ment is playing goal set by the American and Paper Association five years ahead of schedule. AF&PA has set a out in the political new goal of 60 percent recovery by 2012.4 campaign.” ® Tim Wheeler, president, SEJ Board of Directors Improving Tomorrow’s Environment Today.

ting up close to the southern Appalachian forestry industry, American Forest & Paper Association inspecting modern farming tech- niques in Virginia’s Shenandoah Media Contact: Charles Lardner Valley, driving through the majes- tic Blue Ridge Mountains, canoe- 202.463.2700 ing on the New River, hiking the Appalachian Trail to McAfee Knob www.afandpa.org overlooking the Catawba Valley, bird-watching along the Roanoke 1 U.S. EPA, Municipal Solid Waste Generation,Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2006, Table 2 [epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw06.pdf] River Greenway and mountaintop 2 U.S. EPA [www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/paper/basics/index.htm] removal flyovers. 3 US Department of Energy, Climate Vision Progress Report 2007, p. 22 [www.climatevision.gov/sectors/progress_report/pdfs/CV_Progress_Report_Final_Report.pdf] “The SEJ conferences are 4 AF&PA Annual Fiber Consumption Survey [www.paperrecycles.org] famous for their field trips. It’s a rare opportunity for working jour- nalists to get in the field and bring TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 16 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 4:07 PM Page 1

16 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

BATTLE FOR THE / Sipa Press Charlie Varley RIGHT TO KNOW First Amendment Task Force Out to Get the Facts About Government

By Debra Kaufman Amendment Task Force and environ- ering issues of concern to the pursuit STONEWALLED A New Special to TelevisionWeek mental reporter at the Charleston of environmental journalism.” The Orleans reporter faced The Freedom of Information Act Gazette. “In an area like environmen- task force is responsible to monitor resistance when trying to report on environmental (FOIA), signed into law by President tal journalism, where so much of the issues impacting the quality and visi- issues in the wake of Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1966, reporting necessarily focuses on the bility of environmental journalism, . has never been popular in Washing- adequacy—and inadequacy—of gov- speak or write to actions that limit ton but remains the fiercely defended ernment regulatory efforts, it is vital access to information, and provide province of journalists throughout that journalists use the FOIA to SEJ members with services to help the U.S. obtain information to inform their them obtain and use public records, “FOIA is one of the absolute key readers, viewers and listeners.” and to deal with efforts to withhold Mr. Ward. “FOIA is taking longer and comes close to pre-decisional meet- tools that all journalists should and SEJ’s First Amendment Task Force those records. longer, and agencies have become ings, where they’ll discuss the safety must use to get information from the was established in March 2002 to The past eight years haven’t been emboldened by the Bush administra- of launching and so on, they’ll bottle government to inform their readers,” “address freedom-of-information, easy times for reporters attempting tion’s advocacy of secretive govern- it up. I FOIA’ed it but you have to be said Ken Ward Jr., chair of SEJ’s First right-to-know and other news gath- to gather information via FOIA, said ment,” he said. very specific about what you want Mr. Ward pointed out a “horror without knowing what’s there. It was story” involving Mark a pretty successful Schleifstein, a reporter stonewall. I ended up with the doing the story, but it Times Picayune, who wasn’t as powerful as I tried to report on envi- wanted.” ronmental issues in the SEJ President Tim aftermath of Hurricane Wheeler, a reporter at The Katrina. Mr. Schleifstein Baltimore Sun, described was stonewalled by the a looming issue to envi- Environmental Protec- ronmental journalists tion Agency, which related to the concept of KEN WARD JR. ignored his urgent freedom of information: 1st Amendment Task Force request for detailed infor- access to information mation about chemical releases and found within the National Parks Ser- other environmental problems. In vice. “Congress passed a law that they the pages of Grist, an online newslet- needed to regulate filming activities ter on environmental issues, reporter on Parks Service and public lands,” David Roberts noted, “This case was he said. “The parks and park direc- particularly troublesome considering tors have interpreted that variously to Schleifstein has been in high demand require permits of people doing film for media interviews because of his or audio recordings or even taking expertise.” Mr. Schleifstein, along pictures.” A freelance radio journalist …it’ll be quick. with numerous other reporters, filed a request under FOIA, but still “[The Freedom of News travels fast, whether by 24-hour cable, cell received no response. Information Act] is phones or YouTube. Our Strategic Communications Where’s the Data? one of the key team is ahead of the story, advocating for our clients SEJ also sent a letter to EPA to demand quick action, but the EPA’s tools journalists ... to ensure that their message is heard. Our team of next-day revealed little hard data. “The agency men- must use to get media specialists, government relations professionals tioned it had tested for 100 chemical information.” and attorneys is a distinctive combination that sets compounds and other pollutants but Ken Ward Jr., chairman, SEJ First Amendment didn’t release the data,” said Mr. us apart from other world-class public affairs firms, Task Force Roberts. “Americans need to know providing our clients with an unbeatable blend of what specific threats exist and what alerted SEJ’s First Amendment Task the government is doing about them. Force to the problem when she tried legal acuity and media savvy. They are paying for the raw data and to interview a biologist working for they deserve to see it. Now.” the Parks System and was sent an When it hits, we’re ready. Are you? That shocking case has been a application for a permit that cost hallmark of the difficulties besetting $200. “The park said it was a big mis- journalists seeking information from understanding, but we’ve found out the government during this adminis- that depending on the park, you may tration. “Frankly, they can slow you or may not be asked to get a permit down to the point where the story and pay a fee,” Mr. Wheeler said. “As becomes moot,” said CNN corre- long as we’re not disrupting the spondent Miles O’Brien. “In this wildlife or the park, our belief is that administration, there’s been so much we shouldn’t be regulated.” that we haven’t seen. There’s a lot out Mr. Wheeler testified before Con- Strategic Communications in the public domain, but imagine gress in December on that issue, the what’s hidden and bottled up.” SEJ having made common cause Mr. O’Brien has struggled to with numerous broadcaster and obtain information, especially from photographer organizations, includ- bgllp.com Texas New York Washington, DC Connecticut Dubai NASA. “It’s amazing how they sit on ing RTNDA. “One of the challenges is Kazakhstan London Bracewell & Giuliani LLP that stuff,” he said. “Anything that Continued on Page 22 Project1 9/30/08 3:14 PM Page 1 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 18 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 2:42 PM Page 1

18 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

ENVIRONMENT / Rapport Caplin Robert

TOUGH TIMES Last AN ALSO-RAN summer’s soaring gasoline prices made consumers pay attention to energy, and to some degree, ELECTION ISSUE environmental issues. Economic Woes Push

Energy Concerns Don Emmert to Back Burner in Presidential Race By Debra Kaufman Special to TelevisionWeek Drilling for oil and funding alter- native energy sources were topics of discussion for both John McCain and , pushing environ- mental issues to a level of visibility unprecedented in a presidential election. Then Wall Street took front and center, leaving environmental journalists wondering how big a role environmental issues would play in pre-election debates, whether the media will pay atten- tion and whether voters will vote the issue. The odds aren’t great. “Traditionally environmental CRUCIAL FACTOR issues haven’t been high on the Energy issues, as agenda,” said SEJ President Tim discussed during the Wheeler, a reporter at The Baltimore VP candidates’ debate, Sun. “They don’t appear to be front are related to nearly and center of the public mind right every important now given the economy and the campaign topic. recent meltdown on Wall Street.” Despite the shift in focus, this summer’s $4-per-gallon gas prices made consumers pay attention to energy issues and, to some degree, nent issues, but one change is the perspective. “The realization that this the past two decades, you will never attention paid to [the environment] environmental issues, and changed degree to which the media and the distinction is artificial is coming in find environmental issues or even by the candidates will be real, but it the resulting political discussion. public at large are beginning to see general, and presidential elections energy issues rising to the top six in a won’t be a consuming issue for them “This is one of the first years where the connection between energy and have a way of crystallizing an emerg- campaign, or jumping or the press, and anyone the candidates are talking about the environment. For Felicity Bar- ing consensus,” she said. ahead of national securi- who thinks otherwise is environmental issues as a primary ringer, New York Times national cor- CNN correspondent Miles ty, foreign policy or edu- fooling themselves.” issue on the campaign trail,” said respondent for environmental issues, O’Brien agreed that the public is cation,” Ms. Barringer From Mr. O’Brien’s Christy George, SEJ’s first VP for pro- the hitherto “thin distinction” beginning to connect the dots. “Peo- said. “This year, the ener- point of view, the public grams and special projects producer between environmental and energy ple are connecting the war, the ener- gy issue will move higher may actually be demand- at Oregon Public Broad- issues has limited conver- gy crunch and climate change issues on the scale, but I don’t ing more information on casting. sation on the environ- in ways they hadn’t before,” he said. think it’ll bump into that the environment than is ment. “Decades ago, a “The debate on climate change has short list.” obvious from the political News Cycle Slaves construct was created, finally come around. There will debate. “People are thirst- Upstaged Even so, noted Margie not just by news organi- always be some dead-enders, but the FELICITY BARRINGER ing for bold leadership to Kriz, energy and environ- zations but by the politi- American people have moved along. Energy issues, and The New York Times get out of the rut,” he said. mental correspondent at cal world at large, that fire Both candidates have pledged to do therefore environmental “The public is ahead, as the National Journal, it’s was important, but that more on this front than George Bush, issues, are related to nearly every they frequently are, of the politicians. difficult to keep these the flames were a busi- so we’ll see some changes here.” important topic on the campaign There’s an opportunity for a leader to issues in the public eye. ness concern because the address those cross-currents.” “There are so many issues heat from the flames was The media hasn’t done a good MARGIE KRIZ “In any election year ... you will never breaking all the time with sold in the commercial enough job in reporting on these National Journal a campaign,” she said. markets, and the smoke, find environmental issues rising to the issues, said Mr. O’Brien. “From my “They’re slaves to the news cycle. which could get people sick, was an perch covering the environment, Both Obama and McCain are inter- environmental concern,” she said. top six in a campaign.” frankly it’s disappointing to watch ested in doing something on climate. “There’s a growing realization that it’s Felicity Barringer, The New York Times the mainstream media,” he said. But in day-to-day issues, I don’t think one fire, and trying to make an artifi- “The way it is covered is frequently the average American is as interested cial distinction where the smoke But that doesn’t mean that envi- trail, from the economy to foreign in horse-race terms. At one point, I in climate change as Wall Street.” meets the flames is difficult at best.” ronmental issues will float to the top policy. But they’ll still take a back seat pulled together the numbers. In the The environment may not be one The current election cycle may of the campaign agenda of either to the economy. “I’m not arguing the primary stage of the elections, there of the election season’s more promi- very well give a boost to that evolving candidate. “In any election year for logic of it,” said Ms. Barringer. “The were 2,000 questions asked of the TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 19 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 2:44 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 19

DIFFERENCES Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama would be expected whether Americans will vote the to pursue vastly different issue. “People who really care environmental agendas as about the environment will,” said president. Mr. Wheeler. “But polls show it’s not a large percent of the popu- lace. It’s a reinforcement loop. gave equal weight to the tobacco Polls show that climate change or industry-funded institute’s “find- environmental issues are second- ings” on tobacco. “For a long time, or third-tier issues for voters, so we were trained to see both sides. the media then tends to cover But what happens is eventually those issues that show up more in there’s such a body of evidence opinion polls—and therefore the that to do so is misleading. Journal- public doesn’t read much about ists think it is like a criminal trial environmental issues. Our chal- where you need a unanimous jury. lenge as environmental journal- But it’s more like a civil trial where ists is to show the connectedness you only need a majority.” of environmental issues to energy When Nov. 4 rolls around, one debates and other pocketbook question that will remain will be issues.” ■

candidates by Sunday morning broadcasts. And there were two questions about the environment, and one of them was asked by a snowman in the YouTube debate. To me, that’s very discouraging.” SEJ always plays a strong role in educating its members about the candidates’ viewpoints on environ- mental issues and the 2008 presi- dential election has been no excep- tion. Ms. Kriz and SEJ board member Dina Capiello, who reports on the environment at AP’s Wash- ington bureau, organized an April panel on energy and climate change at the National Press Club, featuring energy policy advisers to the then three presidential candidates, Mr. “Polls show that climate change or environmental issues are second- or third-tier issues for voters.”

Tim Wheeler, president, SEJ Board of Directors

Obama, Mr. McCain and . The event went well and exposed attending journalists to the candidates’ points of view. “They all agreed they had to do something on climate change,” said Ms. Kriz. One problem is that political journalists—not environmental ones—are covering the presiden- tial elections and they have no training or background in topics that can be dauntingly scientific. “The newsroom is populated with people deathly afraid of ,” said Mr. O’Brien. He pointed out that, for the past several years, a lack of scientific background has led to journalists giving too much credibility to global warming naysayers. “Combine that [fear of science] with the journalistic con- vention of telling both sides of the story, and it’s easy to fall victim to fringe skepticism out there and treat global warming like it’s a 50- 50 proposition.” No Debating It As time has passed, however, even the most science-phobic political journalist now realizes that global warming isn’t a debat- able topic. “Somewhere along the way, the Tobacco Institute lost, and we can now say that cigarettes kill you,” said Mr. O’Brien, recalling a period of time when journalists TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 20 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 2:46 PM Page 1

20 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO THE FIGHT FOR A SHIELD LAW Trade Groups Battle to Protect Journalists From Pressure to Reveal Sources By Debra Kaufman nalists from being forced to reveal again when the new congressional Special to TelevisionWeek anonymous sources. Over the years, session starts in January.” On July 30 of this year, a federal numerous environmental journal- “There have been too many shield law stalled in the Senate when ists have been subpoenaed in feder- instances of journalists being subpoe- supporters—including the Society of al cases and faced daunting fines naed in federal cases,” he said. “What According to the Society of Profes- protects all journalists. Environmental Journalists—failed to and the prospect of jail. we want is a qualified privilege. There sional Journalists, 49 states have com- “To say this is a necessary part of garner enough votes to end the “It’s our legislative priority to get it are some circumstances where we mon-law, statutory or rule-based pro- the reporter’s arsenal is an under- debate and force a vote on the issue. passed,” said SPJ President Dave wouldn’t have the privilege. But we tections to shield journalists and their statement,” she said. “It’s just not That’s the latest salvo in the effort Aeikens, a reporter at the St. Cloud want the government to have to jump confidential sources from compelled feasible for a reporter to have to face of journalists and organizations Times. “We’re part of a large coalition through a few hoops before we’re testimony. The lack of a federal shield potentially going to jail to protect a such as SEJ and the Society of Pro- of media groups trying to get it forced to turn over our unnamed law means that journalists are not source. And that’s what we have fessional Journalists to enact a passed. We’re hoping it goes again this sources. We don’t want to be the first protected in federal cases. done since the beginning of free- shield law that would protect jour- fall. And if it doesn’t, we’ll go right at it resort. We want to be the last resort.” Take Toni Locy, a former USA lance press in the U.S.” Today reporter who wrote about Going to jail to protect sources is Steven Hatfill, the former Army sci- exactly what happened to freelance entist whom the govern- reporter Josh Wolf after he ment investigated in the videotaped a July 2005 2001 anthrax attacks but protest in San Francisco. whose name has since In February 2006 a federal been cleared. When Mr. grand jury formed to YOU’VE HEARD THE Hatfill filed a Privacy Act investigate the incident suit against the govern- subpoenaed him for his ment, Ms. Locy refused to testimony and unedited give up her confidential footage of the protest, sources and the U.S. Dis- both of which he refused trict Court in D.C. held to provide. On Aug. 1, he HAGIT LIMOR her in contempt. She is was jailed for contempt, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati FAIRY TALES... currently urging the U.S. and after a brief release on Circuit Court of Appeals to keep her his own recognizance, he was re- case on the docket, seeking a jailed on Sept. 19, 2006. He remained reporter’s privilege to keep her there until April 2007—226 days of sources confidential. incarceration—making him the SEJ President Tim Wheeler, a longest-held journalist in U.S. history. reporter at The Baltimore Sun, noted The SPJ gathered $31,000 to pay for the challenge of getting a federal Mr. Wolf’s legal fees. shield law passed. “They want it com- “We think this is a very important promised,” he said. “Some kind of bill to pass,” said Mr. Aeikens. “We shield law would be better than none need this shield law to make sure that at all. But the tension again is over people aware of wrongdoing in gov- who’s protected and what defines a ernment have a place to share that journalist deserving of protection.” information and can get the word out In Cincinnati, WCPO-TV inves- without being afraid of retribution.” tigative reporter Hagit Limor, who The upcoming presidential elec- recently became secretary-treasurer tion offers the possibility of moving on the SPJ board, is a strong advocate the shield law along. “McCain and of a federal shield law. She agreed Obama both said they supported the with Mr. Wheeler’s assessment that shield law,” Mr. Aeikens said. “It’s hard part of the ongoing issue is defining to say if that will change, but we’re what a journalist is. “Some in Con- optimistic.” It’s worth noting, howev- gress want to define who er, that both Mr. McCain is a journalist, as new and Mr. Obama were no- forms of communication shows on the Senate vote NOW HEAR WHAT THE EXPERTS create categories such as this summer that stalled bloggers,” she said. “Some passage of the bill. people think the protec- Journalists such as Ms. ARE SAYING ABOUT ETHANOL. tions should extend to all Limor plan to soldier on. citizens, like the First “I’m passionate about this Amendment. The bottom because I believe in this line is that we are dedicat- day and age, when there Visit experts.DrivingEthanol.org for the ethanol industry’s most comprehensive database of industry ed to free flow of informa- seem to be more restric- experts for article development resources in areas such as research, technology, the environment DAVE AEIKENS tion and free flow of jour- SPJ tions placed on how and the economy. nalism and have been reporters do their jobs, since the SPJ was formed.” that more than ever we need federal Ms. Limor also noted the increas- protection,” she said. “That makes it For more information, call EPIC at ing need for a shield law. “In recent clear that when brave people come (402) 932.0567 or visit DrivingEthanol.org. years, prosecutors have felt less and forward with sensitive information less constrained to haul journalists in that is urgent to the public that we are front of courts,” she said. “It’s impor- able to protect their identities and

©2008 Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. The “e” and the “stylized e” are registered service marks of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. All rights reserved. tant that we work towards a law that inform the citizenry.” ■ Project18 10/7/08 1:57 PM Page 1

Global Cause. Universal Effort. awareness. activation. results.

As part of NBC Universal’s ongoing commitment audiences to take action and join us in integrating to the environment, Green is Universal — our earth-friendly practices into our daily lives global, company-wide initiative — is once again and our communities. By connecting viewers igniting our television, film, digital and consumer to our world-class content during Green Week platforms around the world to inspire change. and year round, NBC Universal is motivating Kicking off on Sunday, November 16th, through positive change today and every day in order a vast array of messaging, NBC Universal for us to create a more sustainable future. will provide environmentally-themed content What’s your Green Routine? aimed at entertaining and empowering our

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22 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO REGIONAL ISSUE Mountaintop removal strip mining will be the spondent Anne Thompson. “Coal is Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette, also focus of a panel session ENERGY our cheapest source of energy—elec- reports heavily on local environmen- and a field trip during tricity certainly—yet it produces the tal issues. “As an environmental the SEJ Conference. Continued from Page 13 greatest amount of carbon dioxide. reporter in West Virginia, I write a lot Issues pertaining to energy will How do we continue to provide ener- about the coal industry, metal issues take center stage. A key event for gy at a low cost and not add to the and, increasingly, more stories about reporters hoping to hone their scien- carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? the health and safety of the workforce tific knowledge of energy issues is an Do we go to wind energy? Solar ener- in that industry,” he said. “I also cover all-day workshop on Wednesday, gy? Can these sources of clean energy the chemical industry in the Kanawha “Covering Climate Change and Our be on-demand energy sources?” Valley, and we’ve done a lot over the Energy Future in Rural America.” Those are just some of the ques- last decade on mountaintop removal Moderated by Bud Ward, editor of the tions that journalists who cover coal mining, which is a big issue here. Yale Forum on Climate Change & the environmental issues have to under- We’ve been trying to do more stories Media, the workshop will focus on stand and report to viewers and on exactly how the various proposals the past, present and future of coal in readers. For local station journalists, dealing with climate change would Appalachia and the southeastern energy issues specific to their region impact the coal industry.” United States. Mountaintop removal are also of paramount importance. It can be a challenge for journal- strip-mining, carbon cap- “[The Tennessee Valley ists covering energy topics to gain the ture and sequestration Authority] is certainly a support of local station management. and the satellite perspec- big story for us, with “I wish there was broad support at the that they don’t get tenure for speak- said. “But the fact of the matter is, tive on changing land pat- rates, excessive spend- station, but it’s continually a fight to ing with the ,” he said. who will be unbiased and give an terns are among the issues ing, its mission versus cover energy,” said Mr. Burnside. “But “Scientists say with disdain, ‘I don’t objective opinion of what’s going on to be discussed by a high- reality and profits,” said as the pendulum [of public interest] want to become the next Carl Sagan.’ out in the field? A lot of my colleagues level scientific and aca- reporter Demetria has swung, we have jumped on the There’s a stigma still in some areas, have shied away from that for years, demic panel including Kalodimos of WSMV-TV bandwagon. We were out front, but from their peers, that they’re publici- but for something as egregious as Amory Lovins, co- in Nashville. “Nuclear we could have been more out front. ty hounds. The concern of scientists mountaintop removal, somebody founder, chairman and power is also coming Of course, I’m like every reporter: I is that they’re going to get burned, has to say those provocative kinds of always wish we could do more.” and a lot of them won’t take the calls things. It needs to be brought out in chief scientist of the Rocky DEMETRIA KALODIMOS back as a bigger part of Finding compelling representa- of reporters because they’re afraid the limelight so there can be debate. I Mountain Institute; Jim WSMV-TV, Nashville our news menu, with Dooley, senior scientist at TVA’s efforts to restart tives of the scientific and academic they’ll be misquoted or that the want to tell my part of the story the Joint Global Change Research long-shuttered plants in the region arenas is another challenge. “As jour- reporter is looking for a zinger.” because I’ve been invited to do so Institute, and Jacob Sewall, assistant and wanting to take over security.” nalists, we’re constantly looking for Ben Stout, professor of biology at and I feel obligated to do so. I hope professor of Geosciences at Virginia At WTVJ-TV, an NBC O&O in Mia- experts who are relatable,” said Ms. Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheel- more of my colleagues do the same.” Tech’s College of Science. mi, reporter Jeff Burnside covers a Kalodimos. “Once you find a scientist ing, W.Va., who will be on the panel As energy issues continue to grow Reporting on energy topics is variety of local-interest energy sto- who can speak on a relatable level, for the session “Mountaintop in importance, evolving from niche fraught with pitfalls for journalists ries. “The lifting of the ban on off- cultivate and care for that scientist. Removal in Context,” agreed with this coverage to headline news, journal- who grapple with transforming com- shore oil drilling in Florida is particu- It’s the best resource you have as a assessment. “My colleagues and I ists who cover the topics will be plex scientific information into easy- larly topical and heated,” he said. journalist in trying to tell your story.” aren’t trained in outreach and under increasing pressure to get the to-understand, TV-sized stories. But “We’re now seeing vocal and organ- Wednesday’s workshop will debate,” he said. “The way the system story and get it right. journalists who cover energy are ized opposition from a variety of sec- expose journalists to some of the works, you have a laboratory and “Energy is the lifeblood of our energized by its importance to the tors, not just environmentalists but leading scientific experts in the outdoor research, but you do that economy and it’s what makes our nation as a whole. also the tourism industry, which is field, but Mr. Ward cautions that with and among your peers and the country move,” said Ms. Thompson. “Look at what we have to figure the business industry and embraces many energy experts are hesitant to peer review process. None of it “Everyone is impacted by energy and out as a country,” said NBC News’ both political parties.” speak on camera. involves the general public. its cost, whether you’re the biggest chief environmental affairs corre- Ken Ward Jr., a reporter at the “A lot of scientists make the point “I just want to do my science and business or an individual. The issue have the media leave me alone,” he isn’t going to go away.” ■

administrations, huge numbers of FOIA requests as well as the govern- FREEDOM ment agencies’ own antiquated Continued from Page 16 record management slow down the that the media are changing,” he said. ability of the FOIA system to be “It’s hard to pin down exactly who is a responsive in a timely manner. journalist, and that’s one of the sticky Recent events have highlighted issues. If we try to write this in a way the ongoing struggle for a more that exempts journalists, say the feds, responsive FOIA. Open-government who should we exempt?” activists have renewed calls for quick “There are more and more free- implementation of the latest Free- lancers and only a few are on assign- dom of Information reforms, includ- ment,” he said. “What about bloggers ing the establishment of an ombuds- who are independent? What if you’re man office, but the reforms were doing something on spec? You can’t slowed by Bush administration get ideas until you’ve done research. efforts to move the new office from Some of us are on duty all the time. If the National Archives to the Justice you go into a park with a Department. On May 6, camera and happen on 2008, SEJ joined other something that would be journalism groups in a a good story, what do you “friend of the court” suit do if a park ranger asks for seeking access to public She gets her public your pass? That’s the kind officials’ e-mails under transportation information of thing we’re trying to state law. And environ- prevent. People shouldn’t mental groups felt the firsthand. feel constrained to take chill on Feb. 1, 2008, when Writing a story about climate change? Energy notes and photos.” Environment Canada costs? Gasoline prices? Want to know how One upside in the muzzled its scientists public transportation impacts them all? Go to whole debate about free- MILES O’BRIEN around the country. CNN the source. The American Public Transportation dom of information is just That underlines why Association has compiled a wealth of statistics, facts, sources, contacts and photos. Visit how much more has many environmental www.apta.com or call (202)496-4816 to reach become available to anyone via the journalists think like CNN’s Mr. our media office. Internet. Some journalists suggest O’Brien. “I think the more we upset that the government, whenever pos- the system, the better,” he said. sible, simply put its records online at “The body of evidence of govern- the same time they’re generated. ment not doing its job is so great Some of the advocates of this posi- that, in a way, you don’t have to tion point out that, regardless of the FOIA to get great stories. But the vagaries of different presidential more you do it, the better.” ■ TW001319 10/1/08 6:13 PM Page 1

AMERICANS AGREEWILDERNESS IS OUR COMMON GROUND

Across the country, people from all walks of life are coming together to ensure that more of America’s special wild places stay wild—for hiking, hunting, camping, climbing, paddling, picnicking, horseback riding, fishing, wildlife- watching and more. ey are teachers, sportsmen, ranchers, business owners, bikers, county commissioners, realtors, members of the faith community and many others, who share the belief that when we lose 6,000 acres of open space every single day, we should do all we can to protect some for future generations. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVERYDAY AMERICANS WE ARE WORKING WITH TO PROTECT THE NATION’S WILD PLACES VISIT WWW.LEAVEITWILD.ORG

Photos (l to r): Monte Matheson, angler, OR (photo-Barbara I. Bond); Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley, CA (photo-Lee Bergthold/Center for Wilderness Studies); Carol Warren, WV (photo-Mark Muse); Chris Herrman, biker, CO (photo-Todd Patrick); Jo Cassin/Stan Kolby, business owners, ID (photo-Mark Lisk); Ray Clarno, rancher, OR (photo-Ben Moon); Adrienne Hochee, equestrian, CA (photo-Michael E. Gordon); Mike McCarthy, orchardist, OR (photo-Barbara I. Bond); Arte Miura, student/Joshua Baker, instructor, Boojum Institute, CA (photo-Wendy Stephens)

CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICA’S WILDERNESS | 122 C ST, NW, STE 240, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 | 2025443691 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 24 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 2:59 PM Page 1

24 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

Q&A KEN BURNS ON HIS ‘BEST IDEA’

WELL-PRESERVED Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” is set to premiere on PBS in fall 2009. FILMS THAT HAVE A POINT New Documentaries Planet”—and “Frozen Planet,” about life at the North and South poles, to Be Previewed at which is in the pipeline for 2012—“fall in love with the Earth all over again,” Roanoke Conference he said. “That sets the stage, if you By Elizabeth Jensen will, for more pointed environmental Special to TelevisionWeek journalistic efforts. Anybody who sees Documentaries about the envi- our ‘Oceans’ show is going to be more Filmmaker’s History ronment have struck a chord with interested in the health of oceans.” of National Parks Is audiences in recent years, whether it Expedition members, tackling an be the awe-inspiring photojournal- ocean at a time, explore shipwrecks an Environmental ism of the television series “Planet and underwater caves, search out Film by Default Earth” or the more pointed global endangered species, test new shark warming call-to-action of the feature repellent technology and techniques Ken Burns’ new six-part, 12-hour film “An Inconvenient Truth.” for nursing damaged coral reefs, and film “The National Parks: America’s A new round of projects to be pre- chart the impact of humanity on Best Idea” debuts in the fall of 2009 on viewed at SEJ runs the gamut as well, marine life. PBS. Directed by Mr. Burns and co- from the hybrid BBC/Discovery series produced with his longtime collabo- “Oceans” to an Time is Right rator Dayton Duncan, who is also the series on Appalachia and a film that The current focus on environmen- series’ writer, “The National Parks” examines the thorny issues of coal- tal issues, Mr. Ford said, makes it easi- starts in the mid-1800s, when the powered energy. er to tackle the subject in a show such parks were just an idea, and charts the Ken Burns Blending spectacular underwater as “Oceans.” “With the table already system’s growth through 1980, with with on-site chronicling set, you can go a step further,” he not- the addition of vast swaths of Alaska. that when you tell good stories that today’s debates. of some of the ways in which global ed. “Oceans,” which looks at disap- More than six years in the mak- are mainly centered in biography— I think what happens is that warming is transforming the environ- pearing Tasmanian kelp and ing, the film interweaves Mr. Burns’ and this is the story of several we’re so dialectically preoccupied ment is “Oceans,” a high-definition Arctic melt, “brings to life things you characteristic archival material and dozen extraordinary people, most that it’s really hard to talk about co-production of the BBC, which is may have read about or heard about.” profiles of the varied characters who of whom you have never heard of; things now without being in your airing it this fall, and Discovery, which Also merging natural and man- brought the concept into being with there are John Muirs and Teddy own camp. People watch their own will show it in the spring. Unlike Dis- made history is “Appalachia: A History stunning contemporary photogra- Roosevelts, but beyond that there news to have their own political covery’s “Blue Planet,” which also of Mountains and People.” PBS has phy from American wilderness areas are dozens of people, so-called viewpoint reinforced. Even the word looked at the earth’s ocean life, this set a tentative February airdate for the and personal reflections from the ordinary people, who just fell in “environmental”—bells go off: “Oh, I production “is people front and cen- four-part series, 10 years in the mak- everyday visitors who have found love with a particular place and think I know where you’re from.” We ter; it’s a more personal look,” said ing, that its filmmakers, Jamie Ross, inspiration there through the years. decided to save it. If you tell a his- find it, the past, a way to subtly bring John Ford, president and general who lives in Charlottesville, Va., and Mr. Burns, who is 55, talked tory well, if you are engaged in up all the issues, just as we talked manager of Discovery Channel. Ross Spears, a native East Tennessean about the film with TelevisionWeek biography, you can’t help but about with “The War.” We were deal- Mixing underwater archaeology, based in College Park, Md., call the correspondent Elizabeth Jensen in sweep along in its way all of the ing with the questions of necessary geology, marine biology and anthro- “first environmental history series late September, the day after he issues that are going on. wars and unnecessary wars, ques- pology, the series, he said, takes a ever made.” received a Lifetime Achievement In deference to my friends who tions of leadership, of what goes “pretty comprehensive look at the The filmmakers knew they wanted Award from the National Academy are journalists, who deal with the through an ordinary soldier’s mind. state of our oceans,” compiled over to tell a history of the region, but at of Television Arts & . present and near past, this is an area These never change. several years in a series of global sci- some point early on, said Ms. Ross, that we’re not interested in. Our film ence expeditions led by explorer they realized that “the only way this TelevisionWeek: Did you envision begins essentially in 1851 and it TVWeek: The Great Smoky Moun- Paul Rose. makes sense is if we make the moun- this as an environmental film? ends for all intents and purposes— tains National Park, to take one “You can make a case with a show tains the main character,” and not just Ken Burns: No, I think we’re in though it looks forward—it ends in example, was born of the early envi- like ‘Planet Earth’ that it’s an environ- a backdrop. the history business. And so this is 1980. But every single issue—envi- ronmental movement. Do you get mental program with a little e, not a Appalachia, they noted, is the the story of how the National Parks ronmental, political, historical, biog- into that in the film? capital E,” said Mr. Ford. Viewers cap- most biodiverse temperate forest in came into being and how they raphical—that we engage in the Mr. Burns: Very much so. What tivated by the lush photography of the world, with “more species of trees evolved as an idea. Our belief is course of the 12 hours is reflected in Continued on Page 28 shows like “Planet Earth” and “Blue in a square mile of the Smoky Moun- TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 25 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:04 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 25

SEA CHANGE “Oceans,” a co-production of BBC UNIQUE “Appalachia: and Discovery about problem and meet energy A History of Mountains disappearing kelp forests demand?” and People” is being and the Arctic melt, will The film examines arguments be screened at SEJ. called “the first environ- on both sides surrounding the mental history series.” promises of clean coal technology, warming are front and center. including carbon capture and “Coal is the elephant in the sequestration, and whether it can room in terms of global warming,” be done on time and at the scale said Mr. Bull. “Just as the world is necessary, at a reasonable cost, said really coming to grips with the real- Mr. Bull. And the filmmakers look ity of climate change, there is a at the alternatives: wind, solar and resurgence of coal.” geothermal. Cheap and abundant, the fuel is The unfinished 90-minute film offered as a solution to skyrocket- is scheduled to be completed this ing oil prices, even as environmen- fall, and the producers are hoping talists want it phased out as quickly for a theatrical release. The film is as possible to avert more damage meant to “engage the debate and to the environment. The central help educate the public,” Mr. Bull dilemma, he said, is, “How are we said. “It’s a debate we’re going to going to both solve the climate Continued on Page 27

tains than in all of Europe,” said Ms. Ross, as well as the densest diversi- ty of fungi, salamanders and birds. That more people aren’t aware of that, the filmmakers contend, “may have something to do with the fact that everyone thinks they know everything about Appalachia,” said Mr. Spears. With the prevalent stereotype that it’s a region of hillbillies, poverty and coal mines, “They don’t really look more deeply,” he said. Added Ms. Ross: “It served extractive industries well not to advertise” the natural diversity of the land. She noted, “You can’t do that and rip coal out of the side of it or deforest it.” Untold Story Narrated by Sissy Spacek, their story is broken into four parts, starting with the geological birth of the mountains, and the arrival of the first humans some 14,000 years ago. “Over time they created their own way of relating to the land- scape,” said Ms. Ross. “There’s a rich, complicated story there that has never been told.” In part two, the filmmakers chronicle the arrival of Europeans, “who were not there to adapt to nature so much as to figure out ways to control it,” said Mr. Spears. Part three tells the story of industri- alization and the arrival of the rail- roads, which allowed timber and coal to be carted out. The series wraps up in the 20th century, as residents begin to realize what they are doing to the mountains, leading to the first school of forestry in America and the emergence of parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains, all of which help forge a “new Appalachian identity,” said Mr. Spears. While plenty of documentary work has looked at Appalachia before, “We really were tired of this old version of the story,” said Ms. Ross. “Both of us have lived in the region for decades and we don’t recognize the picture of it.” Also touching on issues central to Appalachia is “Blackout.” Film- maker Peter Bull has teamed up with the nonprofit Center for Inves- tigative Reporting in Berkeley, Calif., to examine the increasing use of coal to produce electricity at a time when concerns about global TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 26 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:11 PM Page 1

26 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO PBS TURNS UP THE ‘HEAT’ ‘Frontline’ Installment Probes the Response of line’ stories left off,” said Martin Crucial to the story told in “Heat” Smith, award-winning executive pro- is the tension between big business Business and Governments to Climate Change ducer at RAINmedia, who produced, and government. “Because business By Debra Kaufman urgent role of environmental issues wrote and reported “Heat” with co- responds to markets and doesn’t Special to TelevisionWeek in the 2008 presidential campaign. producer Chris Durrance. “There’s [make these kinds of changes] on its On Tues., Oct. 21, “Frontline” will The program is a co-production of been a lot of coverage about the sci- own, there’s going to be a lot of ten- air “Heat,” a two-hour investigation “Frontline” with RAINmedia, an ence of global warming, and it was sions between business and govern- of how the world’s largest corpora- independent production company clear that this was becoming less of a ment,” said Mr. Smith. “The central tions and governments are respond- that has produced more than 20 science story and more of a business question we were interested in is ing to climate change caused by hours of programming for “Front- story. We thought we should look at what the U.S. can do to take the lead. global warming. “Heat” is part of the line.” The executive producer of the big players in the business arena Given the nature and scale of the “PBS Vote 2008” election coverage in “Frontline” is David Fanning. who are going to be most effective in problem, are we equipped? How can acknowledgement of the more “We picked up where other ‘Front- any changes that happen.” our government respond to some-

thing that isn’t even that evident to people yet? How can we, in the time we’re being told we have, say 10 years, turn things around sufficiently? Is there the political will to make the compromises that will be necessary?” These questions are addressed within the context of the current economic crisis, which makes deal- ing with environmental issues even more challenging. Mr. Smith and the RAINmedia team began by researching the topic. “It’s incredibly wonky, so it takes time to get up to EARTH DAY. speed,” he said. “It’s like financial stories: The issues are complex but important to understand.” “How can we, in EVERY DAY. the time we’re being told we have, say 10 years, turn things around?” Martin Smith, RAINmedia

In the U.S., Mr. Smith approached a list of major corporations to ask for their participation. “We told them we weren’t taking this on as a science sto- ry but how they will deal with it when the government starts putting the screws on them,” he said. “Not every company wanted to participate— there’s a list of companies that said no. But we had Exxon Mobil, General Motors and some big utility compa- nies that aren’t necessarily household names. Once they said they’d partici- pate, we knew we could move for- ward. We would have covered the sto- ry regardless, but it makes it easier.” “Heat” opens with a shot of a gla- WE’RE #1 ON THE EPA GREEN POWER PARTNER LIST. cier on the side of Mount Everest, comparing a 1921 photo with a cur- Intel® is now the largest U.S. purchaser of renewable energy certicates, enough rent shot, taken by Mr. Smith’s friend, to take 185,000 cars off the road for a year. That’s being good-natured. mountaineer and filmmaker David Breshears when the two hiked to Learn more at intel.com/go/environment Everest base camp. “It’s a sick glacier,” ECO-SMART COMPUTING INSIDE. said Mr. Smith. “It’s lost lots of ice, and if things don’t change, the Himalayan glaciers will lose 80 percent of their ice by 2030. These glaciers provide a lot of the irrigation and drinking water for hundreds of millions of peo- 2008 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. © ple in China and .” China and India were both on TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 27 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:14 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 27

endangered species and wilderness COAL WAR “Blackout” areas and so forth. It’s where people examines the increasing FILMS live, where we all live.” use of coal to produce Continued from Page 25 He added: “As our collaborator, electricity at a time of have to engage in,” he said, adding, journalist Jeff Goodell (author of intense concern about “I don’t really think it’s possible to “Big Coal”), puts it, it’s important to global warming. draw a firm conclusion.” make the invisible visible. Even just a few years ago, news “As he says in the film: ‘If you organizations were reluctant to could look behind the light and ... watch the tackle such thorny issues, he said, switch; if you could get into the explosions go off, but now, “It’s a really exciting time wire and follow it out to the coal and see the creek for environmental journalists, who plant and see the particles coming that had been there have a big responsibility to make out of the stack. And if you could being filled in by a these issues clear to the public.” see somehow the carbon dioxide mountaintop In a follow-up e-mail message, … and you saw the little particles removal mine. And he said: “I think the challenge for going out into the atmosphere you could look at all environmental journalists today is and you saw them being inhaled of the impacts of to show the general public that ‘the in people’s lungs … and if you this, would you have environment’ is not something ‘out could then follow the railroad the same feeling there’ with the spotted owls and back and go back to the coal mine about electricity?’” ■

GLOBAL PROBLEM The makers of “Heat” traveled to 12 countries to study the roles of corporations and governments in curbing global warming.

the travel agenda, as RAINmedia traveled to 12 countries on four continents to investigate what major corporations and govern- ments are doing about mitigating their role in global warming. In Chi- na and India, he interviewed corpo- rate heads of Chinese coal compa- nies and Indian SUV makers, revealing a disturbing global por- trait of short-term economic inter- ests taking the lead over environ- mental concerns. Ling Wen, CEO of Shenhua Energy, one of the largest and fastest-growing power compa- nies in the world, related that his responsibility is to shareholders, not to the public good. India is cre- ating a new, smaller car that will allow several hundred million new drivers to take to the streets. Corporate heads in developing nations put the onus on the devel- oped world to lead the way with envi- ronmental changes. “There’s a lot of resistance here in America that says we shouldn’t do anything until they agree to do more,” said Mr. Smith. “The counter-argument is that we have to show the way. So we talk to industrialists in China and India, but the focus is primarily on the U.S.” The biggest challenge in making “Heat,” said Mr. Smith, was telling a complicated, issue-centric story. “It’s not a narrative, it’s an issue where everything connects to everything else,” he said. “So your choices going down the path aren’t a simple chronology. Fossil fuels are what civi- lizations around the world are built Extend the renewable energy productionii tax credit on. Cheap energy goes into every- NOW and protect 76,000 American jobs. thing. One has to address this by look- ing across the landscape at all these A critical U.S. policy that promotes clean electricity—the renewable energy energy sources, and within each one production tax credit—will expire at the end of this year. With the future of this are enormous complexities in looking policy unclear, investments in wind power projects are being placed on hold today at solutions, whether it’s coal seques- and 76,000 high-wage American jobs are at risk. tration or better fuel economy.” Urgent action by Congress is needed NOW to extend the production tax credit, save “It’s important for people to see thousands of jobs, and fight global warming. Help American workers bring home how our system is going to address problems that are going to require the bacon without cooking the planet—extend the production tax credit today. leadership,” he said. “So much of our energy policy has been special- AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION interest groups pushing Washing- PowerOf Wind.com ton to get their way. Climate change is about understanding we have a larger common interest in the future of the planet.” ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 28 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:16 PM Page 1

28 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

that the old-growth forest was about back then. money had ever been spent to natural scenery—land was set aside to be completely clear-cut by a rapa- And then what happened is the acquire land for a National Park. not for royalty, not for the very rich BURNS cious timber industry. Depression hits and it’s like a billy There was a race against time; but for everybody, for all time. It’s an Continued from Page 24 This movement was born club to the forehead. A lot of the the loggers were determined to get utterly American idea, growing out we’ve done is we’ve centered it between Asheville, N.C., and pledges that people made weren’t as much done before the deal was of a million impulses that deal from essentially on two individuals. We Knoxville, Tenn. The city fathers all coming through. Even though John settled. And they were even timber- our new political freedoms, from the found a guy named Horace Kephart, got to help set aside the Smoky D. Rockefeller Jr. had, once again— ing stuff that was part of the deal. sense of the magnificence of the who was at the time the bestselling Mountain areas—the Great Smoky, like Acadia, and as he would do in continent and its possibilities. author of nature books, a guide to as some wise New York PR firm sug- the Tetons—come to the rescue and TVWeek: Could you broadly Our first episode is called “The camping and wildlife. He had been gested at the time. offered the remaining amount to be sketch out the film’s other themes? Scripture of Nature.” It’s born out of an early prodigy and then fell on What happened is you got a raised, the pledges from ordinary Mr. Burns: It’s important to the idea that as we shake our Euro- hard times. He had been an alco- grass-roots response. … Kids were people had fallen short because of understand it’s not a travelogue, it’s pean traditions, we can find God holic; he lost his wife and six chil- contributing pennies and nickels the ravages of the Depression. not just pretty pictures of nature or a more easily in works of nature than dren to divorce. and dimes from their piggy banks. And in the midst of the Depres- wildlife film, it’s not filled with rec- in the great cathedrals, that we can He started over in the Smoky sion, for the first time in the history of ommendations of what lodge or inn walk into Yosemite, as John Muir Mountains. He bumped into a - TVWeek: So it was like the Statue the National Parks and therefore the to stay at. This is the story of the did, and escape the severe Calvinist ese immigrant named George Masa, of Liberty? United States and probably therefore ideas and the individuals that made religion of his father. who took photographs, and together Mr. Burns: It was exactly like the the world, the United States govern- this thing happen. The idea also comes out of a he wrote and Masa photographed Statue of Liberty, and it reminded ment, Franklin Roosevelt, paid the For the first time in human histo- sense of urgency. Thomas Jefferson and they began to promote the fact me exactly of Pulitzer’s campaign remaining amount—the first time ry, land was set aside—huge tracts of thought this continent that he dis- patched Lewis and Clark to explore was going to take 100 generations to fill up, and we filled it up in less than five. And all of a sudden, by the end enewable and clean, biodiesel is one of America’s most promising fuel alternatives of the 19th century, we’re looking around going: “We’re going to lose and is helping to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil. all this. We’re going to lose the buffa- R lo; we’re going to lose these places.” And we did something really unique: We, at least temporarily, arrested our acquisitive tendencies. Made from plant oils, fats and waste greases, the 500 million gallons of biodiesel Everything about America is about the almighty dollar, and for some produced in 2007 displaced more than 20 million barrels of petroleum. reason we were willing to stop. We had to sort of do all these political ploys, declare these places like Yel- lowstone worthless, Yosemite Safer for the environment, biodiesel significantly reduces our carbon footprint. worthless. … But then people began being woken up, and there’s an essential spiritual paradox: When you are made to feel insignificance by the One billion gallons of biodiesel would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 16 billion hugeness of nature, a giant sequoia, the depth of the Grand Canyon, the pounds – the equivalent of removing 1.4 million cars from our roads. majesty of the rocks at Yosemite, paradoxically it makes you bigger. … John Muir said: “In order to go in, I have to go out.” … In order to Other non-edible raw materials such as algae, seashore mallow, mustard, camelina and have some understanding of who I am, I have to actually have a rela- jatropha all hold great promise for the future. tionship with nature. And that fits with Thoreau, it fits with Emerson, it fits with Jefferson. A democracy requires an interaction, a conversa- tion with nature. So what happens is we create this thing, as Wallace Stegner called it, “America’s best idea,” which is our subtitle. And as someone instantly says, it’s not our best idea, Thomas Jefferson’s articulation of freedom is, but after that you’d be hard pressed to find a better idea. And then we watch it evolve, that it isn’t just waterfalls and geysers and gigantic canyons, it’s also the evolution of species diversification. You’re beginning to save habitats. THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE IS HERE. NOW. You’re taking the Everglades, which everyone, even the Park Service, thought was a worthless swamp, and suddenly saw it as a place of startling beauty. The Park Service leads the under- standing of species protection: The predators have always been killed; we suddenly change policies. It’s the magnifying glass that shows us our environmental life over the last 160- BIODIESEL some years.

TVWeek: Your film is not about politics, but you clearly have your own personal politics. [Mr.Burns Contact us at the National Biodiesel Reach our Media Office at produced the tribute film for Sen. Ted Board to find out more about the 800-841-5849 Kennedy that aired during the Democratic National Convention.] cleaner, sustainable alternative fuel. This film is going to have things to www.biodiesel.orgwww.biodiesel.org say that fit into the national debate right now. Do you wish it were run- TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 29 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:19 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 29

assume we’ll just start a new deal then. This is my second 10-year KEY PLAYERS Ken Burns, deal, and this is too much fun. … center, with “National Parks” We have Vietnam; we have cinematographer Buddy the dual biography of the Roo- Squires, left, and longtime sevelts; we have the Central Park collaborator Dayton Duncan. jogger film, which is completely unique; the Dust Bowl; Prohibi- tion we’re working on right now; feel about this award? we’re updating the baseball Mr. Burns: There’s a kind of series; I’m going to go to a meet- “Yikes.” There’s that excitement ing right now about [a feature and the great honor with it, but it’s film version of the 2005 docu- more the sense—I made a joke mentary on] Jack Johnson. The about it early on. … sky’s the limit. … I look much younger than I What I realized halfway am, so at least I have worked for through my speech last night, 30 years or more doing this. I’ve one of the things I wanted to say been making films professionally I’d forgotten to write about. One for 33 years, which is career- time I was actually a judge on length, so I guess they’re all right. one of these Emmy things, this I’ve got at least another 33 to go. was like 15 years ago. They send I’ve got stuff I gotta do. So I you about 60 billion tapes and thought the joke about “Could it you diligently sit and watch them ning right now? versation with what’s going on. them to understand. be a half-lifetime award?” was very all and take notes. Mr. Burns: Yes, very much so, It’s not us being propagandizers, [An example:] Teddy Roo- much how I tried to internally rec- There was a fairly interesting even without [Alaska Gov.] Sarah it’s not us forcing an issue. We’re sevelt’s a complex figure. He’s as oncile the obvious. documentary on [theater director] Palin in the mix. We were saying just saying, yes, the experience of much a hunter who loves to kill Tyrone Guthrie. … Somebody said that. And we would be showing it war has its resonance today. Can quadrupeds … but he’s also the TVWeek: You have at least 10 he was at a meeting with him, and over the last year and people we have an intelligent discussion genius of conservation in our more years’ worth of work in public he fixed him with a stern gaze and would be saying, “Boy, I wish that about it? And we did. country. And a marvelous figure in television? said: “We are looking for ideas we could have this out right now.” And I think, too, with this, our film. Everything’s there, but it Mr. Burns: More than that. The large enough to be afraid of [“The War” opened with a we’ll be able to use the platform doesn’t have to be a cudgel. contract’s through 2022, but I again.” When I watched that in the quote: “There’s no such thing as a of history. That doesn’t have a lot think we’re going to have all the film I just sat up straight. I ran it good war, there’s only necessary of the current hot topics that TVWeek: When you accepted films [that are in the works] done back, I typed it out, and I put it on wars.”] We recorded that before polarize people, and nevertheless your Lifetime Achievement Award by 2020, so we’ll probably start a the door to my office, where it still the invasion of Iraq … and yet it is the story of great polariza- last night at the News & Documen- new one there. But 2022, I’m 69 remains to this day. And that’s we’re not unmindful of the fact tion. We’ve always wanted not to tary Emmys [on Sept. 22], you years old. [Laughs.] what it is: It’s biting off more than that that creates a kind of an just speak to the choir. We want seemed to be saying, wait a minute, [PBS] owns the distribution you can chew and learning how to authentic, unmanipulated con- to speak to everybody and get my lifetime’s not over.How did you rights till 2025 on all the films, so I chew. That’s it. ■

PLANET GREEN, THE FIRST ALL GREEN TV NETWORK,

SALUTES THE JOURNALISTS WHOSE DEDICATION TO

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS REPORTING COMES FIRST.

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30 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

IN THE FIELD WLII-TV veteran Susan Soltero stays on the front lines in San Juan, ISLAND UNTO ITSELF Puerto Rico. TV Reporter Susan Soltero’s Beat Is the Perils Week that instead of more awards, she would like to see more action on of Puerto Rico’s Fast-Changing Environment issues that impact the environment er developing countries—with these waste disposal and protection of coral By Hillary Atkin recently honored by the Puerto Rico on the island nation of 4 million peo- issues coming at us really fast. People reefs. There is never a shortage of Special to TelevisionWeek House of Representatives for their ple, and more resources. are resistant to change. Everyone issues on which to report. Susan Soltero is a self-described work. For Ms. Soltero, it was the latest “We are different than Hawaii. We wants to look away, and it’s happen- “Puerto Rico generates a huge big fish in a small pond, an award- in a long list of honors that includes a haven’t been as careful, and we’re ing at a rapid pace.” amount of carbon dioxide compared winning SEJ member who is the envi- regional Emmy Award, being recog- playing catch-up,” said Ms. Soltero. She reports daily on the noon to other countries,” she said. “Every ronmental reporter and the senior nized for excellence in environmental “The sea level is rising about one newscast in a 3½-minute segment family has three cars, and people meteorologist at WLII- TV, the Univi- reporting by the Environmental Pro- quarter-inch a year and combined “Susan en su Ambiente” (“Susan in don’t walk. We don’t know what solar sion affiliate in San Juan, Puerto Rico. tection Agency in 2006 and being with hurricanes, more tropical rain the Environment”) that features sci- panels are. ... We don’t ride our bikes, Ms. Soltero and her environmen- awarded “Reporter of the Year” by the showers are creating severe erosion of ence, nature and survival stories on because there are no incentives to tal reporting colleague at Telemundo Lions Clubs of Puerto Rico in 2005. our beaches. We’re a very Caribbean everything from protecting endan- ride bikes. We have been a colony station WKAQ-TV, Sylvia Gomez, were But Ms. Soltero told Television- country, living off of tourism like oth- gered species such as manatees to since 1492 and have a colonial men- tality. We live on handouts from the U.S., and until it hits us in the pocket- book, we don’t change. We’re chang- ing because it costs a lot to power our air conditioning. We’re moving in that direction, but it’s taking a lot of time.” Ms. Soltero has been reporting on the environment for nearly 20 years. She began her broadcasting career in 1982 as a news intern at WDIV-TV in Detroit before going on to report at another station in the market, WJBK- TV. She then anchored the news at stations in Casper and Cheyenne, Wyo., before becoming the environ- mental reporter at KHQ-TV in Spokane, Wash., in 1989. She has been in her current position since 1992 and is also the senior meteorologist on the three-hour morning news block. “When I first arrived here, I brought something different: a U.S. style of reporting to the environment. At the time, not many people knew there were manatees in Puerto Rico. I went swimming with them,” Ms. Soltero recalled. “People have known me as the adventurous environmen- tal reporter. When I got here, every- body sat on set and looked pretty and didn’t get muddy or their hair messed up. I managed to raise awareness. With my offbeat style, I’ve managed to mix humor with science, and hopefully, eventually that will make a difference down here.” Working on the island has raised her own awareness of the many issues that are specific to the market- place—which is about the size of Denver’s—and to the Latin . “We depend heavily on tourism, and yet tourism doesn’t invest very much in upkeep of local beaches, and there is a lot of garbage, which is very frustrating,” said Ms. Soltero. “We’re one of the most densely populated countries in the world. They spend a huge amount on promoting the island but invest less than 1 percent in maintenance and cleaning it up, so what does that tell you? We need to change priorities.” She has extensive experience cov- ering weather emergencies, most notably 1998’s Hurricane Georges, in which the station received a 98% share of the audience while she was on the air. “We live in a great country, a jewel of an island, and we need to take care of it better,” Ms. Soltero said. “The audience is very supportive and I get a lot of awards, but I would love to see more change and I feel like I’m swim- ming against the current. People are very conscious, and want to do some- thing, but it’s a big challenge for the near future.” ■ Project2 10/6/08 10:16 AM Page 1 The GEF – an exotic Fish? Not really, but the GEF, the Global Environment Facility, indeed IS something special— because which other organization unites 178 member governments in partnership with international institutions, NGOs, and the private sector!!! And channels billions of dollars effectively to address global environmental issues while supporting national initiatives!! Just the GEF. We are an independent financial organization based in Washington, DC, hosted by the World Bank but working closely with nine other development institutions globally. We provide grants to developing countries and countries with economies in transition for projects related to , climate change, international waters, land degradation, the layer, and persistent organic pollutants. These projects benefit the global environment by linking local, national, and global environmental challenges, and promoting sustainable livelihoods in local communities. Through our Small Grants Programme (SGP), we have also made more than 7,000 small grants directly to nongovernmental and community organizations. In just 16 years, the GEF has evolved into an effective and transparent entity with a solid track record of getting results. Today, the GEF is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. The GEF has allocated $7.4 billion, supplemented by more than $29 billion in cofinancing, for more than 1,980 projects in more than 160 developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The GEF partnership includes 10 agencies—the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Food and Organization (FAO), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the World Bank. The GEF is a financial mechanism for implementing the international conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and persistent organic pollutants. The GEF is also a financial mechanism for the Convention to Combat Desertification and collaborates closely with other treaties and agreements. In all its work, GEF catalyzes problem-solving partnerships, working closely with convention secretariats, implementing agencies, executing agencies, private sector, and civil society. TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 32 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:23 PM Page 1

32 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO CRYING OUT FOR THE WILDERNESS Media Savvy a Prerequisite for Groups Working to Protect Environment By Hillary Atkin Resources Committee and is now beauty of these lands. A lot of peo- Special to TelevisionWeek awaiting full Senate action. Due to ple take wildlands for granted, and WATER WORLD The They say a picture is worth a the nation’s financial crisis, that don’t understand the difference World Wildlife Fund used thousand words, and that adage may not happen until after the between national parks and unpro- footage of polar bears holds true for environmental November election. tected wilderness—and don’t think forced to swim great organizations looking to get their “We need the media to spread about how little wildland is pro- distances to bring home stories told on television—stories the message about the importance tected for future generations.” the impact of global that often are complex, scientific of protecting wildland,” said Susan Currently, about 5% of Ameri- warming on the ice caps. and involve intricate packages of Whitmore, director of communica- can soil is permanently protected legislation. tions for Campaign for America’s as wilderness and fully half of that Case in point: The Campaign Wilderness, which gives state is in Alaska. The organization says for America’s Wilderness, in con- organizations advice and resources about 6,000 acres of open space a Ms. Whitmore. “It’s really impor- We know TV is driven by great junction with state wilderness to get federal legislation over the day is lost due to development, tant to show the audience what footage, but it’s a challenge.” coalitions, has been working on a goal line. “One of the goals is to get more than 2 million acres a year. we’re talking about and explain One recent success came last package of bills that was cleared by journalists interested in going out “Wilderness advocates want to why it is important. Video is an month, when the organization the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural and looking at and seeing the save at least that much a year,” said important piece, because most provided the gripping footage of people aren’t getting out there to the swimming polar bears to a wilderness areas. Most support national magazine show. The story protection, but that doesn’t mean focused on how the polar ice cap is they’re going. It’s important, we melting, and therefore decimating think, to show people the land the polar bear’s natural hunting we’re trying to protect.” grounds and habitat, forcing them to swim long distances to hunt for Rock-Solid Taking a Hike food. The footage was shot by sci- The organization recently entists on a reconnaissance mis- organized a wilderness hike for a sion over the region. VALUES. television news crew in West Vir- ginia, to show what undeveloped, un-roaded, un-logged, un-mined “We’re working pristine wildland looks like, with on ... campaigns the intent of having it stay that way for generations into the future. in about eight In Palm Springs, Calif., it arranged for a television station to states where go on a flyover in a small plane to we’re seeing get footage of some of the nearby land that would be protected sprawl creeping under federal legislation. “We are working on a number into canyons.” of campaigns in about eight states Susan Whitmore, director of communications, Campaign for America’s Wilderness where we’re seeing sprawl creep- ing into canyons,” said Ms. Whit- more, noting that her organization “We hoped there would be works closely with others that interest, as it is very hard to tell have similar goals. environmental stories on TV,” said For the World Wildlife Fund, Ms. Aun, who works with a staff of Safety. Reliability. Responsibility. some spectacular video of polar 10. “There are only several thou- bears swimming brought home the sand tigers, and declining numbers American refi ners and petrochemical manufacturers supply a broad point of how global warming is of other endangered species like variety of products that enhance individuals’ quality of life—as well as changing their environment and pandas and gorillas, but getting strengthen our economy and national security. threatening the species. crews out to areas where they live NPRA members’ employees work hard every day to maintain safe, reliable The WWF is the world’s largest is difficult and costly. We do have a and affordable supplies of fuels and materials for American consumers. conservation organization, operat- video library, but television sta- Our members also reinvest billions of dollars every year to maintain ing in 100 countries. Its overriding tions want the footage to be cur- and upgrade facilities for cleaner, more effi cient operations. goal is saving species—and part of rent. Now we’re switching over to that mission has become inter- HD, and all of that other footage twined with the issue of climate won’t be as good and is becoming change, which has a tremendous dated. At the same time, news Today’s refi ning and petrochemical businesses. impact on people and animals. budgets are being cut, and they “Our challenge is that we’re sci- often do not have the ability to go The more you know about us, the better we look. ence-based, in the trenches and thousands of miles to get footage.” taking on projects and then trans- lating them into stories that appeal Earth Hour to the public, stories that would Traveling to exotic locales was appear in the science pages of The not an issue in March, when the Representing nearly 500 businesses with more than one million employees in the New York Times,” said Leslie Aun, WWF was involved in a huge media United States, the National Petrochemical & Refi ners Association is your resource vice president of outreach campaign for Earth Hour, for information about today’s domestic oil, gas and petrochemical producers. for the World Wildlife Fund. “In which called for people to turn off order to build support and their power for one hour as a symbol momentum, we have broadened of taking action on climate change. NATIONAL PETROCHEMICAL & REFINERS ASSOCIATION I 202.457.0480 I npra.org our media focus over the past year. Continued on Page 34 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 33 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 6:18 PM Page 1

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ON POINT The Sierra Club, with about 1.3 million members, is currently focusing the bulk of its media outreach efforts on the SIERRA CLUB issue of clean energy. HAS MESSAGE FOR MEDIA Granddaddy of U.S. Provides Help to Journalists

By Hillary Atkin Special to TelevisionWeek With all the attention the state of Alaska is getting due to the nomination of its governor, Sarah Palin, as the Republican vice pres- idential candidate, the Sierra Club is getting a lot of calls from TV news organizations for its footage on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—an area in the northeast- ern part of the state where Gov. Palin supports drilling for oil. The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest environmental GASIFICATION organization, with about 1.3 mil- lion members, and it has learned to be very media-savvy to get its Redefi ning Clean Energy message across through multiple communications platforms, par- ticularly on television stations throughout the country. • Flexible “We have the ability to tell • Reliable stories from a local as well as a national • Proven perspective.” David Willett, Sierra Club

The efforts fit right in with the part of its mission that calls for educating and enlisting peo- ple to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment. “We are a grass-roots organiza- tion with members in every state, so we have the ability to tell stories from a local as well as a national per- spective,” said David Willett, nation- al for the Sierra Club. He runs a media relations staff of nine people based in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., whose job it is to promote environmental stories and to ensure accurate coverage. In addition to providing B-roll footage to television stations, the media department assists news organizations in finding local experts on environmental issues as well as knowledgeable members of the Sierra Club who can be inter- www.gasifi cation.org viewed on television newscasts. “One of the advantages of being an environmental group is Continued on Page 34 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 34 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:26 PM Page 1

34 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

as “Hannah Montana” and “The media outlets. from its Web site. The films it pro- Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” as “Our Washington, D.C., office is duces are used online and sent to CRYING well as online video channels such in the thick of it when it comes to various Web sites and environmen- Continued from Page 32 as YouTube. breaking news, from energy bills to tal . The event, which started several For the Natural Resources court cases and rulings,” said Jenny Ms. Powers said the organiza- years earlier in Sydney, Australia, Defense Council, founded 38 years Powers, media director of NRDC’s tion also uses blogs to supplement had participants on seven conti- ago, each of its five U.S. offices New York office. “In New York, we the traditional news releases it nents and 400 cities, including 100 employs at least one media rela- can do a little more proactive out- sends out to media on breaking municipalities in the United States. tions staff member who, in addi- reach on serious global warming news stories, such as new scientific Ms. Aun said her organization’s tion to responding to breaking issues to more consumer-oriented studies and verdicts in environ- media outreach includes shows news stories, is proactive in pitch- efforts, from home energy use to mental court cases. that reach a young audience, such ing stories to local and national household toxins.” “Working as one of many envi- ronmental groups, when a news- Morning Exposure worthy event happens, there is NRDC works with many of the general protocol that you put out a national morning news shows on ,” she said. “Then sud- segments, including demonstrating denly, reporters have a dozen vari- how employing eco-friendly prac- ous sources; it’s hard to be unique tices can be easy and cost-efficient. and to garner attention by doing It recently did a home energy audit the same thing everyone else is of a family’s house in New Jersey, doing. It’s good to have a more per- analyzing its carbon footprint and sonalized pitch note that plucks an SIERRA showing ways for family members idea or two that hasn’t been out Continued from Page 33 to reduce their utility bills while there, with one of our experts, a our stories are told really well with reducing pollution at the same time. fresh angle. Everything happens so pictures that work very well for TV,” fast that you are fighting through said Mr. Willett. “If our local mem- messages and voices all the time. bers are trying to get media cover- “What really We try to cut through all that by age on issues that impact their speaks to people offering up a distinct voice through communities, you need to be our expert blogs.” thinking of pictures. Whenever is how it impacts With a focus on issues that can we’re planning a campaign, what them at home. It’s seem overwhelming to the average drives it to tell the story on TV viewer, such as reducing the drives it everywhere.” more intriguing world’s oil usage, stemming the Whether it’s an oil spill with tide of toxic chemicals, fostering video of birds covered in black for broadcasters, more “green” jobs and preserving muck, or pictures of the Arctic and to viewers.” oceans and wildland, the NRDC National Wildlife Refuge that show has elevated the use of its media caribou, polar bears and musk ox in Jenny Powers, NRDC communications in the past 10 their natural habitat, the video pro- years. vides an added dimension to story- “What really speaks to people is “It’s really been an important telling that can otherwise be lost in how it impacts them at home,” said tool in our advocacy,” Ms. Powers coverage of policy issues, legislative Ms. Powers. “It’s more intriguing said. “There has been a concerted action and bureaucracy. for broadcasters, and to viewers. effort … to reach various audiences You want to tell a story and engage that go beyond the New York Times viewers in a visually interesting and the Wall Street Journal, which “When we way. For the morning shows, it’s are still critically important. There succeeded in not like a New York Times story is a wide range of people that are about global warming.” The organ- interested and affected by environ- preventing the ization also frequently provides mental issues. We’ve been doing a scientific experts for network and great job, progressively becoming dam from being local evening news broadcasts and more effective, also through online built, it really cable news shows. efforts and online activism, which NRDC has expanded its in- works together with our broadcast energized the house multimedia department, efforts. It’s becoming more impor- which produces public service tant to us that we make sure our club.” announcements and short films voice is reaching a broader group. David Willett, Sierra Club and offers high-quality B-roll for We’re becoming more strategic and television stations to pull down better at it every day.” ■ Mr. Willett dates the organiza- tion’s impact through media to the late 1960s, when it ran a print cam- paign against building a proposed ECSP News, dam in the Grand Canyon, an idea that was later scuttled because of the public outcry. Game Changer The campaign, which ran in The New York Times, changed the way the Sierra Club evolved its public relations efforts. “It had tremendous impact for the Club, and greatly angered some members of the Senate, who had our tax status investigated, and we were audited by the IRS,” said Mr. Willett. “It changed the way we did everything and we became much The New Security Beat, more activist. When we succeeded in preventing the dam from being built, it really energized the Club. It SPREADING THE WORD showed that they could use media The Natural Resources as a tool, like letter-writing cam- Defense Council puts paigns, education and lobbying of its message out on any Congress.” available media platform, The Sierra Club is currently including a YouTube page. focusing the bulk of its media out- reach efforts on the issue of clean energy, which not only is healthy TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 35 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:28 PM Page 1

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FORCE FOR CHANGE is an essential tool.” families, communities and the Sierra Club underwrites “Natural Heroes,” a public The overriding goal is to be lands and livelihoods they love broadcasting TV series involved with television and film from pollution, corporate greed about people doing things programming that reflects the and short-sighted government to help save the planet. Sierra Club’s belief that every policies,” Ms. Bramhall said. person is connected to, inspired SCP also is underwriting the by and responsible for the natu- third season of the Emmy- and ciency and how people can save ral world. Telly Award-winning “Natural energy to lessen the need for new Other projects include “Sierra Heroes” public television series, coal-fired power plants. Club Chronicles,” seven half- now in production. “It’s a maga- “We were ahead of the curve hour episodes produced by zine-style show about people in creating a production division, Robert Greenwald’s Brave New doing things to help save the a unique opportunity to create Films in association with Sierra planet,” she said. “For everything content,” said Adrienne Bramhall, Club Productions. “The pro- we’re involved in, it’s critical to director of Sierra Club Produc- grams capture the extraordinary reach a broad audience and tions. “With online opportunities efforts of people across the increase awareness, but the most as well, we are doing good things country who share a common important thing is that we want to in using video to communicate. It cause—the fight to protect their engage them in taking action.” ■

for the environment, but can cre- ate new jobs as well. “The strategy is in finding the right messenger, and an environ- mentalist is not always the best source,” said Mr. Willett. “With clean energy, we are working with the steelworkers union. We like windmills, and so do they, because they’re built out of steel. When you can translate an issue into a human-interest story that’s about jobs, that works quite well.” The media strategy often revolves around providing a local angle for whatever story is in the news. “We’re not a Washington think tank, we’re a group with active members in communities around the country,” Mr. Willett said. “While getting national cover- age is great, we would just as soon get 20 media hits on local evening newscasts than one big hit.” Since 1999 the Sierra Club has run its own Los Angeles-based production house, which pro- duces documentaries and also provides underwriting and spon- sorship to independent produc- ers for programs on the environ- ment. Several years ago its first big project was co-producing a feature-length documentary on photographer Ansel Adams that aired on PBS’ “American Experi- ence.” The 90-minute program was directed by Ric Burns and earned an Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Silver Baton, a Golden Cine award and a News & Documentary Emmy Award for cultural programming. Shows at SEJ Several of its programs will be screened at the SEJ conference, including a show on the land, people and culture of the Appalachians. Another Sierra Club-sponsored television pro- gram is launching this month, called “Kilowatt Ours,” a look at energy consumption and effi- TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 36 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:30 PM Page 1

36 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO A TOUGH JOB / AFP STR

ALWAYS A NEED As the world watched the Olympics in heavily GETS TOUGHER polluted Beijing, the eco-preneur, green living expert and sion stations, where more seasoned environment loomed Economic Woes Put author of the upcoming book “Green and expensive reporters with a spe- as a topic that Environmental Jobs Your Work: Boost Your Bottom Line cific knowledge base like the envi- demanded attention While Reducing Your Eco-Footprint.” ronment are being replaced with from the media. on Chopping Block “In my market in Minneapolis less costly general assignment By Allison J.Waldman [where WCCO-TV veteran meteor- reporters who don’t have specific Special to TelevisionWeek ologist Paul Douglas was among the environmental background or expe- outlets are for doing really adequate trate on an in-depth story when The U.S. Labor Department casualties of the CBS sta- rience.” in-depth reporting.” you have to constantly feed the recently announced the loss of tion layoffs] the major “Television isn’t taking The difficult economic climate is beast in so many different ways. 159,000 jobs—the ninth straight has also had as much of a hit as news- just one of the challenges facing envi- We’re having to write shorter sto- month in which America has suf- dramatically decreasing papers and magazines,” ronmental reporters. “Another part of ries, but not fewer stories.” fered a decline in jobs. The employ- revenues, resulting in said Tim Wheeler, envi- this issue is that the environmental Mr. Brent agreed. “There is no ment crunch has been across the many longtime journal- ronmental reporter for field has become so broad,” said Ms. doubt that all reporters are now board, including many layoffs at ists taking early retire- The Baltimore Sun and Carlson. “It is no longer only about expected to be multifaceted in their media companies. Gawker Media, an ment or severance pack- president of the SEJ clean air and water. Environmental approach,” he said. “The toolbox has online group of blogs, cut back 30% ages,” Ms. Carlson said. Board of Directors. “It problems and opportunities touch gotten much bigger. Corporate Amer- of its editorial staff in early October, “The paper has turned to feels like we’re in the for- every area of our culture: food, ica has woken up to the story of sus- and 160 employees at CBS Corp.- both freelance writers est and the trees are com- weather, business, homes, the econo- tainability, and they are pushing it to TIM WHEELER owned television stations in 13 cities and content experts for ing down and each one is my, our natural world, health and media as hard as they can, whether it SEJ were dismissed earlier this year. green housing and other knocking the other over. even religion. So it is difficult for a is warranted or not. Many companies Reporters and broadcasters spe- specialized niches as a much less “There’s a steady drumbeat of journalist to have the broad expertise are making fantastic strides in envi- cializing in environmental stories are costly way for them to offer content budget cuts and staffing cuts needed to cover everything about the ronmental and are right- not immune. “No one is being spared than hiring a full-time reporter. The throughout traditional media. It’s environment today.” ly discussing it with media. Others are as cutbacks occur,” said Kim Carlson, same is happening at local televi- tearing back the media’s ability to do Mr. Brent was based in China for jumping on the bandwagon, and get- in-depth reporting. There’s been 16 years, half of that time as a ting on board despite having a dubi- some loss. It’s hard to say how much reporter covering envi- ous ticket.” in terms of folks who are dedicated to ronmental stories. He The fact remains that covering environmental news.” doesn’t think much of the environmental issues are Get your hands-on science... At The Baltimore Sun, Mr. Wheel- half-hearted attempts by integral to news coverage, er saw 20% of editorial staff cut. some media to cover and media professionals “Where we had three people essen- today’s green issues. “A lot will be needed to report tially covering the environment and of the reporting is just the issues accurately. growth issues at the paper, it’s now regurgitated without a lot “These issues are just just me. That may not be typical in of real digging,” he said. too important, and we’re any respect, but that’s an example,” “As a former journalist, not going to solve them above the Arctic Circle that’s very worrying.” off in the next four years, he said. WILLIAM BRENT That said, media whomever is elected Meanwhile, demand remains Weber Shandwick MBL PROGRAM strong for environmental stories— members are adapting president. The issue of cli- although perhaps not the end-of- to the new landscape. News pros mate change is going to be with us Polar Hands-On Laboratory the-world variety. “I’ve seen dimin- are being asked to expand their for decades,” said Mr. Wheeler. “Yes, Toolik Field Station, Alaska: June 18 – July 1, 2009 ishing interest in environmental skills to become more multifaceted. the whole media outlook is changing. It’s becoming more diverse and more Travel above the Arctic Circle to Alaska’s Brooks Range for a field course focusing stories that are all the doom and “We’re being asked to do more and on key questions in polar research. Then team up with leading Arctic researchers to gloom. That has its limits,” said more, to spread ourselves thinner fractured, so you have to take that investigate cutting-edge issues of polar environmental change. William Brent, head of the cleantech and thinner to cover more media,” into account. But I think there will practice of Weber Shandwick, a PR said Mr. Wheeler. “I haven’t been continue to be more and more peo- Additional fellowship opportunities include: firm. “There is increased interest in asked to do any videos yet, but ple involved in informing the public • Palmer Station, Antarctica: Explore the effects of climate change and the business of environment, i.e., they’ve asked me to come talk to about these issues. Whether they’re function cleantech—renewable energy, etc. the video people for our Web site. going to be working for • Woods Hole, MA: Discover the fundamental techniques and concepts behind More and more traditional and new The I write used to have three or radio or TV stations, or from mag- modern day biomedical research media are devoting resources to the contributors; now it just has me. azines or Web sites or blogging, its business of renewable energy and There’s a tension where everybody importance is going to be just as APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 2, 2009 cleantech. That said, I’m still pretty is being asked to do a little bit strong if not stronger a few years www.mbl.edu/sjp amazed at how strapped most media more. It makes it hard to concen- down the road.” ■

A F has advocated for forests SINCE 1875.

Did you know that trees: Curb global climate change Conserve energy use, promote energy security HEALTHY FORESTS = HEALTHY COMMUNITIES Enhance local economies Provide employment for a “green collar” workforce Reduce childhood asthma and make for healthier cities Expand learning and recreation opportunities Provide clean drinking water and clean air Questions about trees, forests, or the “tree-angle” to your story? Call - Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director at 800/368-5748 ext 232 Email - dgangloff@amfor.org Visit - www.americanforests.org Project13 10/9/08 2:20 PM Page 1

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38 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO A STATION IN PURSUIT OF THE

GREEN SCENE WPXI’s new facility was built GREEN GOAL using recycled material, and its heating and Pittsburgh’s WPXI green—at least over the airwaves. certification between August and air-conditioning lines are under the floors. Stands to Be the First A number of stations nationwide December 2009. use the Green Pages, provided by “There actually aren’t any TV Outlet to Garner Internet Broadcasting, on their Web LEED-certified television stations sites. The site features environmental at this time,” said Ashley Katz, , he said. a LEED Certification stories on subjects such as research- communications manager at the The station, By Jarre Fees ing compact fluorescent light bulbs or U.S. Green Building Council in which is seeking cer- Special to TelevisionWeek the reclaiming of local wetlands, Washington. “WPXI is registered tification in the exist- Companies like Whole Foods, along with stories like “Kermit Lied: but not yet certified.” ing building category, Macy’s and Wal-Mart are installing It’s Easy Being Green.” Most registered projects, she said, was built using recy- solar panels. California’s Pacific Gas But at one Louisiana station that are buildings that are currently cled material where and Electric recently announced offers the Green Pages as part of its “somewhere in the pipeline—either possible and has plans to purchase enough solar pow- online resources, the person who still in the conceptualization phase or installed bamboo floors, “because process altogether, choosing er to light up more than 250,000 answered the phone in the newsroom building design and construction bamboo is easily replenished in instead to spend the hefty certifica- homes. All the major networks have admitted he “couldn’t even get the phases—and have registered with nature.” The heating and air-condi- tion fees on the project itself. recycling and other environmental station to recycle their paper.” LEED with the intention of gaining tioning lines are underneath the In addition to the existing building programs firmly in place. Most of At the other end of the green certification upon completion.” raised floors, he said, “which means certification, LEED standards also them have had these programs for so spectrum is station WPXI-TV in According to the Leadership in they cool or heat from the ground cover new commercial construction long they’re considered old hat. And Pittsburgh, a Cox-owned NBC affili- Energy and instead of the ceiling, where it’s a and major renovation projects. The many TV stations have already gone ate that hopes to get its silver LEED Web site, the LEED green building waste of energy.” standards, which are raised every year rating system is “a voluntary national Even the glue, paint and carpets as local government regulations tight- rating system for developing high- are environmentally friendly, and the en and new methods of sustainability performance, sustainable buildings. landscaping is covered by “no-mow become more available, are also LEED addresses all building types fescue, which gives you ground cover being developed for new home con- and emphasizes state-of-the-art but doesn’t require mowing.” struction as well as commercial and strategies in five areas: sustainable Solar power was not an option for neighborhood developments. Sustainable Coal site development, water savings, the building, Mr. Carter said. “We’re in Apart from offering LEED certifi- energy efficiency, materials and Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh is second cation, USGBC also provides an oper- resources selection, and indoor envi- only to Seattle in lack of sunlight. So ations and maintenance guide to help Economic • Abundant • Secure ronmental quality.” we’re still on the grid, tapped into owners and managers operate their Environmentally Sound Ray Carter, general manager of public utilities.” buildings more efficiently with mini- WPXI, said Cox Chairman Jim The building uses both gas and mal cost to the environment. Kennedy is “fully electricity, has low-flow Not all environmental upgrades behind these environ- toilets and showers and are as dramatic as the WPXI construc- mental issues and also has “a software sys- tion. Some stations are making small pushes every employee tem that helps regulate changes, with an eye on bigger to make a difference.” lighting and heat, so areas improvements down the road. The design phase of that are not being used Lee MacPherson, director of the new building began in will not be lit or heated engineering at Oakland, Calif., Fox 2004 and was completed unnecessarily. You walk affiliate KTVU-TV, which serves the in early 2007, Mr. Carter into a room and the lights San Francisco Bay area, said parent said. But it was only in the go on. You walk out of a company Cox Television is working actual construction phase room and after five min- to get all of its stations greener and RAY CARTER of the building that own- utes where the system more fuel-efficient. WPXI-TV ers and management doesn’t detect any “We went through and had a sur- decided to go completely green. motion, the lights go off.” vey done of all the lights in the sta- Mr. Carter admitted it would be “a Some of WPXI’s success in going tion,” Mr. MacPherson said, “and lot more economical if you decide to green is simply a matter of employee we’ve replaced about 95% of them. [build a green building] early in the education, he said. “You don’t leave We used to use the old fluorescents, process. The first estimates came with the water running. You use the recycle but they were more expensive.” a hefty price tag. “But creative owners bins. You can’t get out of a room here The station replaced the electron- find creative solutions,” he said. “The without running into a recycling bin.” ics and the lamps, he said, “and kept owners, designers and contractors In addition to the cost-effective- just the fixtures.” In addition to using worked until they found cheaper ness of groundcover and other sus- less electricity for lighting, he said, solutions that would still be environ- tainable aspects of the building, the “The old lights put heat in the rooms, mentally sound. Stations shouldn’t let station should also benefit financially which forced the air conditioning to cost be a reason not to go green.” in other ways. Companies with LEED work harder.” “The station sits on a 17-acre certification can take advantage of a Though the task might be daunt- parcel,” he said, “and we mitigated growing number of state and local ing and take a number of years, Mr. almost two acres of wetlands” that government incentives. MacPherson said the station, encour- www.americancoalcouncil.org the building itself would have dam- And some companies that want aged by Cox, is actively “looking at aged. The station relocated the wet- to promote sustainability might ways to take ourselves off the grid lands to another portion of the decide to skip the certification entirely.” ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 39 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 4:29 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 39

GREEN ISSUES Many stations recognize the need for cleaner technology in the news fleet, but hybrid trucks can be problematic, not NEWS TRUCKS to mention expensive. PLAY CATCH-UP As Vehicles Get More High-Tech, Now They Also Must Get Greener

By Jarre Fees powered, and hardly anybody that was delivered a year earlier said Rex A. Reed, director of busi- until the last five to eight years.” Special to TelevisionWeek seemed worried about fuel emis- to KTVU-TV in Oakland, Calif., ness and product development at Inverter technology has For years, the people who make sions or carbon footprints. which boasted space for news E-N-G Mobile Systems, which improved significantly, he said, news trucks just tried to keep pace In July 2007, L-3 Wolf Coach, production and laptop , outfits electronic and digital and now there are many more with the latest technology. Stations now of Ayer, Mass., delivered the along with a 1.2-meter satellite satellite news-gathering trucks. inverter products that are “proven wanted to collect news electroni- dish. It was also a hybrid. “There haven’t been products till equal to the power in the walls of cally so they could have a quicker But most hybrids present now that are capable of catching your building.” feed without having to go through “Technology is problems for news-gathering up. But there are new, high-quali- “Consumer demand for solar the film editing process, and truck catching up with vehicles, and while many stations ty products now. We’re at the power has increased,” Mr. Reed outfitters delivered. now want to reduce fuel emis- crossroads where technology and said, “and that demand has Then stations wanted satellite the need to go sions, green technology for TV consumer needs intersect.” caused suppliers to build better feeds, and satellite news-gather- green ... there are news trucks is still hard to come A number of problems must be equipment—because as demand ing trucks were born, most often by. It can be expensive to boot. overcome to make a news truck for solar and wind power increas- in combination with electronic new, higher-qual- L-3 Wolf Coach, E-N-G Mobile green, Mr. Reed said. Generators es, manufacturers can afford to news-gathering vehicles, which Systems and Frontline Communi- are efficient but high-emission. build additional alternative power were now an industry standard. ity products now.” cations supply most of the elec- And batteries “tend to be direct sources. Then stations wanted news in Rex A. Reed, E-N-G Mobile Systems tronic news-gathering needs of the current voltage, while equipment “It always comes down to sup- high definition from the field, and television industry nationwide, in tends to be alternating. So we have ply and demand. If high demand truck outfitters scrambled to nation’s first hi-def news fleet to addition to outfitting command to have a device that inverts the and competition go up, people oblige. All the news trucks, like KLAS-TV in Las Vegas. The hi-def vehicles for the military. power from DC to AC.” build better products.” ambulances and military com- fleet was bigger news than the E- “The technology is catching “That’s old technology,” he said, Test vehicles are in the field to mand vehicles, were generator N-G OmniLink 2000 news van up with the need to go green,” “but it’s always been done crudely, Continued on Page 43 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 40 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:41 PM Page 1

40 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO Q&A

HOST Eco-adventurer GREEN BECOMES David de Rothschild REDFORD fronts “Eco-Trip.” Sundance Founder Discusses How His Channel is Tackling Energy, Climate Issues In addition to ongoing shows such as “Big Ideas for a Small Planet,” a staple after two seasons for the net- work’s environmental programming block The Green, Sundance Channel has greenlighted the eight-episode series “Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Liv- ing,” hosted by English eco-adven- ON A REAL turer David de Rothschild. The net- work also has acquired popular satellite radio show “The Lazy Envi- ronmentalist,” which jumps to The Green with author and green entre- preneur Josh Dorfman in tow. Both AWARE Robert Redford ‘ECO-TRIP’ shows will debut next year. The Green boasts eco-conscious says Sundance Channel “and that journey has an impact” on has an educational role. programming that includes docu- David de Rothschild the earth and its resources. mentaries and original series Probes Carbon’s Effects “I’m a converted consumer,” Mr. designed to enlighten, inspire and de Rothschild said of the series, “and entertain viewers. But in an election in Sundance Series I’m trying to take these issues to the year in which financial crises threaten base their votes on this time around. gramming on all platforms. Also, By Jarre Fees public and hope that the format will to overshadow ongoing issues such as Previously, all aspects of the environ- we’ve developed online platforms in Special to TelevisionWeek appeal to other consumers. I just global warming, energy and resource mental issues have been given lip particular which nurture a lively One of the hottest environmental want to allow the viewer to go on the allocation and food shortages, how service at best and are put at the bot- interactive community, and that, too, programs slated to debut in 2009 journey with me and ask the ques- does the environmentally conscious tom, for the most part. I think those presents particular opportunities could well be Sundance Channel’s tions the viewers want to ask.” network respond? TelevisionWeek days are over. Everybody says it’s around civic involvement. “Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Living,” The pilot episode, “Cotton,” finds correspondent Jarre Fees recently about economics—but whether it’s an eight-episode series to air on Sun- Mr. de Rothschild traveling to an posed that question and others to war, Social Security, education, envi- TVWeek: Among other types of dance’s environmental block of pro- organic cotton farm and following Sundance founder Robert Redford. ronment, healthcare, it’s all organi- programming, I’m told Sundance gramming The Green, hosted by eco- the crop from planting to the cotton cally connected to economics. is now looking for more “personali- adventurer David de Rothschild. gin, where he measures the softness TelevisionWeek: How do you feel The smart candidates see the ty-driven” vehicles.Why is this Mr. de Rothschild, author of of the crop by throwing himself into a the energy and climate crises will play economic opportunities in good, important? “The Global Warming Survival truckload of the fiber. out in the coming election/adminis- solid innovative policies: New jobs Mr. Redford: Unfortunately “per- Handbook” and an extreme sports “The amazing thing was to find tration, and do you feel Sundance has in the new green economy, better sonality” is easily confused with competitor, naturopathic doctor out that we eat and sleep on and a role, especially now, in voter educa- impacts on public health, new thriv- celebrity, and that has acquired dan- and one of National Geographic’s wash with more cotton than we tion? ing markets, a more engaged citi- gerous connotations. I prefer charac- Emerging Explorers, Class of 2007, wear,” Mr. de Rothschild said. Robert Redford: It better play out zenry dedicated to all of it and ter-driven stories. If the stories and plans to take viewers on a half-hour Non-organic cottonseed oil is big because it is big. The evidence so demanding action. characters are rich enough, it will journey each episode, tracing the used in peanut butter, salad dressings long predicted is now right in our I think Sundance Channel has an provide personality. Offering our carbon cost of everyday items such and baked goods; the seed, along laps. Energy and climate issues are ongoing role in public/voter educa- audience character-driven stories as cell phones, bottled water, cotton with “gin trash” from the cotton front and center now, and the candi- tion just by the nature of the range of and experiences, well told in interest- T-shirts and salmon fillets. plant, also is used for cattle feed. dates and their operatives realize that information, ideas and perspectives ing, relatable ways, tends to stand out “Every product has a journey,” Mr. About 95% of the world’s cot- these are issues that people may well we bring to audiences through pro- Continued on Page 41 de Rothschild says in the series pilot, Continued on Page 41 CZZYVcZlVc\aZ[dgndjg Zck^gdcbZciVagZedgi^c\4 6h`jhVWdjii]ZgZhedch^WaZjhZd[eZhi^X^YZhVcY[Zgi^a^oZgh!VcYi]Z^hhjZhhjggdjcY^c\i]Z^gjhZ# L]VindjXdkZg^hkZgnXdbeaZmVcYi]ZgZVgZbVcnh^YZhidZkZgnhidgn#NdjlVciidXdkZgi]ZhZ^hhjZhgZhedch^Wan#LZXVc]Zae# ;dg^hhjZh^ckdak^c\eZhi^X^YZhdg[Zgi^a^oZghjhZYWnXdchjbZgh!XdbbZgX^VaVeea^XVidghVcY\dkZgcbZciV\ZcX^Zh!XdciVXi6aaZc?VbZh# 6aaZc?VbZh^hi]ZegZh^YZcid[G>H:GZhedch^WaZ>cYjhign[dgVHdjcY:ck^gdcbZciœ#G>H:^hVcVi^dcVacdi"[dg"egdÒiigVYZ VhhdX^Vi^dcgZegZhZci^c\egdYjXZghVcYhjeea^Zghd[eZhi^X^YZVcY[Zgi^a^oZgegdYjXih#HdbZd[i]ZhZegdYjXihVgZjhZYidegdiZXiejWa^X ]ZVai]VcYegdeZginWnXdcigdaa^c\eZhihhjX]Vhbdhfj^idZhVcYiZgb^iZh#Di]ZghbV^ciV^c\gZZcaVlch!bVcV\Z^ckVh^kZeaVciheZX^Zh! hX]dda\gdjcYh!]^\]lVng^\]ih"d["lVn!aV`ZhVcYedcYh#G>H:^hVc^cY^heZchVWaZbZY^VgZhdjgXZ!egdk^Y^c\_djgcVa^hihl^i]i]Z[VXih VcYhX^ZcXZVWdji`ZneZhi^X^YZVcY[Zgi^a^oZg^hhjZh# 8Vaa6aaZc?VbZhVi'%'"-,'"(-+%dgk^h^i/eZhi[VXih#dg\™hX]ddaeZhi[VXih#dg\™lZhic^aZk^gjh[VXih#dg\ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 41 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:43 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 41

FISH TALE In one al programming, without watering “Eco-Trip” episode, the down the content? host searches for the REDFORD Mr. Redford:We go below the ‘ECO-TRIP’ real cost of a farmed Continued from Page 40 headline of “Doom and Gloom” Continued from Page 40 salmon dinner. from the din of images and noise and show the light that shines ton is grown using , he coming at us all day and from so beneath with new opportunities said, adding that cotton “uses many platforms. that are here and now for all of us. less than 3% of the world’s farm- But really, I think it’s all about With that said, I believe people are land, but requires 25% of the the personal, emotional connec- attracted to good stories well told. world’s insecticides.” tion. If you can’t reach audiences That’s our focus. And we don’t want In the pilot, Mr. de Rothschild on those levels, you can’t build on to be the propaganda network, and also visits a family in California it—or you may get them for a simply beat audiences over the affected by pesticides used on minute but you’ll lose them head with messages. You can leave neighboring farms. rather quickly. Someone like that to the broadcast bloviators. We “When you talk about carbon David de Rothschild can connect want to strike a balance between emissions, it can all be very with an audience to tell a story in problem and solution and let the abstract and cerebral,” he said. a very engaging way. audience take what they need from “We want to bring back the it. But it’s making creative innova- human element with personal TVWeek: How challenging is it tion exciting and entertaining. stories of people who are directly to keep things fresh for your regular Just as important, we trust affected by these things. viewers? Do you ever feel you’re our audience. We don’t talk “You sit at a kitchen table with Mr. de Rothschild admits, “If I were they continue to farm in a way preaching to the choir? down or dumb down. I feel if someone who says, ‘My children a salmon, I would want to live there. that’s irresponsible.” Mr. Redford: I think people you find the clarity of the infor- are losing their hair, my husband “You put sustainable farms Even the so-called wild salmon come to Sundance Channel for mation, create an engaging nar- is losing his hair, his eyebrows,’ there, right in with the wild salmon. we eat from the northern Pacific is something different, and as long as rative and bring life to it in new and you find out it’s because of It’s the equivalent of going to Mon- not necessarily wild, he said. “The we keep to our core mission it will ways, audiences will “get” it. the chemicals they’re exposed to tana and putting in a factory- fish return to where they were remain fresh and innovative. We try in the field.” farmed buffalo herd right in the born, so they raise a fish in the farm to remain true taking risks on new TVWeek: Sundance Channel According to the pilot, a single middle of a wild buffalo herd. The for several years and then release it. voices, new formats and new ideas has been a success for a pretty long drop of the Aldicarb, a two herds would cross-pollinate.” When it returns to its spawning and not be led by what we think a time by industry standards. How nerve poison developed in World The wild herd would soon ground they catch it and label it certain group of people might want. do you keep your Inner Outlaw War II that has been found in the start to show signs of diseases ‘wild’ in the market.” We’re not poll-oriented; instead we motivated to continue the work drinking water of 16 states, can that plague the farmed herd, and The series is produced by NBC’s try to stay ahead of such stuff. As far you’ve started there? kill an adult when absorbed against which the wild buffalo Peacock Productions and executive as our programming goes, no, I Mr. Redford: Working from through the skin, yet “farmers have no immunity, Mr. de Roth- produced by Colleen Halpin. don’t feel we’re preaching to the within, being sure to keep apply 2 million pounds a year to schild said, adding that it’s “the Mr. de Rothschild, heir to the choir, because of the diversity of humanity in the picture. Take cotton crops,” he said. same with wild salmon. There are Rothschild banking fortune and programming and perspectives we risks, be freely creative, be around Another episode finds Mr. de sea lice that attack the farmed dubbed “one of England’s green- present. If anything, I would say that a highly effective, creative and tal- Rothschild in search of the true salmon, and they get antibiotics. est aristocrats” by National Geo- we’re trying to reach a new choir. ented group of hard-working cost of a farmed salmon dinner. But the sea lice now also attack graphic Adventure magazine, executives who believe in the mis- “The idea sounded good: You the wild salmon, and they have plans to set sail in the Pacific later TVWeek: How do you attract sion and bring it to life in very take prime breeding grounds for no defense against it. this fall on the Plastiki, a boat new converts to The Green, which is inspired ways. So it doesn’t take a salmon—in this case, in British “The salmon farmers have made entirely from post-con- essentially a big block of education- lot of motivation to engage. ■ Columbia,” a place so beautiful that known this for 25 or 30 years, but sumer plastic bottles. ■

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2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1150 Arlington, VA 22201 p: 703-525-7788 www.aiam.org TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 42 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 3:55 PM Page 1

42 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO TV NETS MAP ECO-FRIENDLY CAMPAIGNS Corporate Parents Pushing Green Agenda in Programming, Workplace mitment to green its own operations PLEA In CBS’ series of worldwide includes work on a new environmentally themed By Hillary Atkin in all, from NBC Entertainment to the implement ideas, such as giving West Coast News Headquarters and PSAs, network stars ask Special to TelevisionWeek Sundance Channel, Universal Parks employees reusable cups and using a Content Center, expected to be com- viewers to help make the For the major broadcasting net- and the Telemundo Network. water vendor that employs 30% less pleted in 2011. It will feature sustain- world a better place. works, “going green” isn’t just a trendy “The environment has plastic in its bottles and able design, construction and transit- marketing ploy—it’s becoming a way become both a corporate 10% less paper. oriented development under the U.S. audience to do the same. There are of corporate life as companies imple- and cultural issue,” said “We have the exciting Green Building Council’s LEED® rat- green storylines planned for “Lipstick ment energy- and resource-saving President and CEO Jeff opportunity to work ing system. NBC Universal also plans Jungle,” involving all the three female techniques throughout their facilities Zucker at the time. “As a cross-organizationally, to use LEED practices as a bench- stars, “Knight Rider,” “My Own Worst and showcase environmental themes leading media and enter- and to identify opportuni- mark for existing buildings in its Enemy” and “Kath and Kim,” with a in some of their programming. tainment company, NBC ties to advance the green ongoing operations. fun take on green and recycling. We NBC Universal, like News Corp., Universal has a responsi- platform,” said Beth Col- For lowering energy consump- are also launching an e-commerce announced its commitment in spring bility, both in our own leton, vice president of tion, the Universal Studios lot in Uni- site that allows consumers to buy 2007, under the banner “Green Is operations and in driving Green Is Universal. “In versal City, Calif. installed its first green products.” addition, each division solar energy system in May 2007, Universal.” It geared up quickly for its awareness. Green is good BETH COLLETON for the world and the bot- has a dedicated green covering 1.75 acres, the largest in the News Corp. Initiative first Green Week last November— NBCU’s Green Is Universal providing more than 150 hours of tom line.” point person within it, industry. The corporation’s long- The broadcasting and program- environmentally themed content The corporation has a Green always looking for a list of ways to term goal is to secure an ever- ming divisions of News Corp. are also encompassing all of NBCU’s divisions Council chaired by Lauren Zalaznick, engage 16,000 employees.” increasing portion of its power from hard at work on greening their facili- across multiple platforms, 42 brands which meets every month to plan and NBC Universal’s corporate com- solar or wind generators. ties, events and productions, continu- On the transportation front, last ing the initiative launched last May by year NBC Universal began using a dif- Chairman Rupert Murdoch. Its ambi- ferent car service in New York, result- tious and far-reaching goals call for ing in a 75% improve- achieving carbon dioxide neutrality ment over the old service, and also throughout all the company’s busi- replaced 25% of its automobile fleet ness units—print, broadcast, film and with hybrid vehicles by the end of online—by 2010. WWW.CHEMSTEWARDS.COM 2007. The company is in the process “We’re trying for a 15% reduction of deploying multi-functional office of travel-related costs, a significant machines that let employ- reduction of carbon,” ees scan and e-mail docu- said John Moore, vice ments, eliminating the president of Environ- need for multiple devices mental, Health and Safe- and reducing paper use— ty for Fox Networks and using paper with 34% Group. “We are shutting recycled content. down employee desktops “We’re committed to at night and gradually ® mobilizing our workforce moving toward ‘point of around green,” said use’ water. It’s like a water Ms.Colleton. “We have JOHN MOORE cooler, but rather than major volunteer days, with Fox Networks Group having bottled water hundreds of employees delivered, it plugs into cleaning up rivers, planting trees and existing tap water and with a self-con- bettering their own communities. tained reverse osmosis system, virtu- Through the NBC Universal Founda- ally eliminates a carbon footprint— tion, we give grants to green organiza- and it’s better quality.” tions. In our own buildings, General For some time now, Fox Broad- Electric is a real leader in reducing car- casting has used 30% recycled con- bon and waste. We don’t use any more tent copy paper for its printers and Styrofoam, and our catering depart- copiers, and recycled 80% of its ment does composting. Many of our paper and trash, including set SOCMA divisions have carpooling programs.” waste like paper, paint, batteries The company is gearing up for and electronics. another Green Week, scheduled for Building on its work at the 2007 Nov. 16-23, with more than a hundred Emmy Awards and this year’s Super SOCMA members have pledged to lead the specialty, batch and custom chemical industry in hours of related programming. “We Bowl, Fox produced its most carbon- are preparing another roster of great ® efficient and eco-friendly event to environmental, health and safety performance. ChemStewards helps them reach new heights. activities, really focusing on green date at the “American Idol” finale in choices that are easy for audiences to May 2008. It partnered with the Los SOCMA • THE SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION understand and activate around,” she Angeles Department of Water and 1850 M St NW, Ste 700, Washington, DC 20036 USA • Ph (202) 721-4100 Fx (202) 296-8120 • www.socma.com said. “We have a great list of talent Power to provide renewable energy to participating in “The More You the Nokia Theatre, installed a solar Know” PSA series, encouraging the system to power the red carpet, TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 43 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 6:36 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 43

implemented a 98% waste diver- managing environmental, health sion program and sourced reusable and safety issues. TRUCKS materials throughout the venue. “The real power of CBS is Also in May 2008, Fox made sig- through its role as a broadcaster, Continued from Page 39 nificant efforts to cut its carbon and having the ability to raise prove that the concept works, he footprints at its upfront presenta- awareness of and reporting though said, noting that one test site for a tions in New York, Los Angeles, news on environmental issues,” public utility “has been success- Chicago and Detroit. From using said Mr. Wall. fully operational for nine months. renewable energy at venues to In a series of environmentally “The people [at television sta- slashing the number of trucks used themed public service announce- tions] must all be from Missouri,” to equipment, the “green- ments under the umbrella of “CBS he added, “because they all want er” methods also included reusing Cares,” stars of its shows, including us to prove that it works. They Fox-branded carpeting from the Julia Louis-Dreyfus of “The New keep saying ‘Show me.’ But there previous year—which had previ- Adventures of Old Christine,” ask are so many people who want ously been thrown out—and viewers to make the world a better this technology to work.” reusable centerpieces at tables. place for their children by doing Similar practices have seeped something for the environment. Four Stations Testing into day-to-day operations across Each in the series of PSAs then pro- Four TV stations, including the divisions. “What we are trying to motes an environmental organiza- KTVU, which serves the San Fran- NEW WAY E-N-G’s do is further integrate energy initia- tion from which viewers can find cisco Bay area, are also testing the NoGen truck replaces tives into the business process,” more information. trucks. John Stevens, manager of the generator with a storage battery and said Mr. Moore. “Our goal is to Other spots in the series get very electronic news-gathering oper- sine-wave inverters and make reductions an inherent part specific, asking viewers to turn down ations for the station, said KTVU on the No-Gen, Mr. Reed said, can operate for more of our business.” their thermostats or to use less hot is testing “a unit that charges and it recharges while the truck is than two hours. water and more energy-efficient while the vehicle is running. It being driven. It can also be CBS Focused products and recyclable materials. replaces the generator with a No- recharged from an electrical out- CBS, with 30,000 employees at Inside the organization’s facili- Gen product.” let when parked overnight. when they’re running, and TV 250 locations across the United ties and productions, these man- “We’re looking at ways to cut E-N-G expects to work out any trucks need to be parked for long States, Canada and Mexico is also dates are also being implemented. maintenance, fumes and fuel kinks in the tested No-Gen units periods of time. There’s so much concerned with more environmen- “There is real sensitivity to address usage,” Mr. Stevens said. But he by the end of the year, and plans engineering that’s needed to tie in tally sound business practices. waste reduction and energy effi- cautioned it is too early to tell to begin selling the vehicles in the batteries to a longer time- “We have a group that repre- ciency,” said Mr. Wall. “We will be whether the No-Gen truck is January. frame of power.” sents each of our major units called looking at corporate initiatives to ready. “It’s a first test run.” Frontline Communications in To sidestep the battery prob- the corporate Environmental drive down to various locations. According to product informa- Clearwater, Fla., outfits broadcast lem altogether, Frontline is hop- Health Safety Council. Through There is a lot of great effort, and it’s tion provided by Mr. Reed, E-N- vehicles such as the E-350 High- ing to develop a truck that would them, we coordinate efforts and a grass-roots effort. That’s where the G’s No-Gen truck “replaces the top, Sprinter, and the NT series. run on natural gas. The company share best practices and develop power of generator with a very high-capac- According to a company has called in experts from New corporate initiatives,” said Bill Wall, and Safety comes in, to share best ity storage battery and high-qual- spokesperson, “It takes a 5.5 all York, Chicago and “other areas vice president and senior counsel of practices. That requires effort, ity pure sine-wave inverters.” the way to a 10- kilowatt genera- that have green initiatives” to give CBS Corp.’s law department, whose thought and planning in order to A “typical news truck” can tor to power a news truck. And their input on the development duties include implementing and share it across business units.” ■ operate for more than two hours hybrids can be funky. They charge process. ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 44 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 6:38 PM Page 1

44 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO ENVIRONMENT ON THE AGENDA CROSS-PLATFORM Reactions Vary as foods and recycled products. It has “awareness, activation, results” and Environmental activism filtered its way throughout com- its “Green Is Universal” campaign is is a focus for big media Station Groups, Nets, merce and throughout society. Will it evident in all NBC media outlets— firms such as NBC last is anybody’s guess.” from NBC to Telemundo to Bravo, as Universal, where “Green Media Conglomerates On the other hand, there’s well as alternative platforms online. Is Universal” touches a Push Their Initiatives William Brent, head of the cleantech The GreenIsUniversal.com Web site broad range of outlets. practice of Weber Shandwick, a pub- includes information in a variety of By Allison J.Waldman lic relations firm. “I hear a lot that forms, including Web video, blogs, Special to TelevisionWeek demand is low. News is so much a message boards and interactive As news pros gather for the 18th business these days and doom and question-and-answer centers. annual Society of Environmental gloom doesn’t move papers or boost “It’s more common among media Journalists conference in Roanoke, ratings, so not a whole lot organizations that have Va., this week, the state of the indus- of love these days,” said deep pockets and deep the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles The Walt Disney Co., including try in terms of reporting, broadcast- Mr. Brent. “Since I am benches,” said Mr. Times and others—said individual all of its media outlets such as ABC- ing and covering environmental now on the ‘supply side’ Wheeler. “Two years ago, media outlets determine the need for TV, calls its environmental initiative issues depends on which side of the of news (so to speak), my a small chain of commu- environmental journalists. He added Environmentality, which it defines fence you’re on. Tim Wheeler, envi- take is that resources nity newspapers in east- that the newspapers continue to as “attitude and commitment to ronmental reporter for The Balti- being committed to envi- ern Oregon did a year- have reporters working full time on think and act with the environment more Sun and president of the SEJ ronmental stories are long series on the the environment beat. in mind.” The brand represents Board of Directors, is optimistic. minimal. Broadcast is environment. It was a Gannett Group, like the Tribune Disney’s fundamental ethic that “I think there’s a strong demand threadbare and very reac- way to stretch things. It Company and NBC Universal, has blends business growth with the for environmental stories,” he said. “I tive. Print struggles with was a vision and commit- multiple outlets. According to Tara preservation of nature. GARY WEITMAN have to say in some ways this is the editors looking to boost ment, and even in these Connell, VP of corporate communi- Mr. Brent sees a pattern in some Tribune Company best of recent times to be an environ- circulation, and environ- times you can do some cations, Gannett lets individual sta- environmental coverage. “‘Planet in mental journalist. There’s a lot of mental news is a tough sell.” very good work.” tions and publications plan their Peril’ (CNN), ‘Powering the Planet’ news. Climate change, sustainability, Gary Weitman, senior VP of cor- own environmental coverage. “I (CNBC), Planet Green (Discovery) green marketing … there’s a real Corporate Concern porate relations for the Tribune Com- can tell you anecdotally there has ... clearly ‘planet’ is a brand. But interest among consumers to buy Almost every major media corpo- pany—which owns radio and TV sta- been increased interest in ‘green’ what’s interesting to me is what I environmentally sensitive and sus- ration has the environment on its tions including the flagship WGN-TV coverage—more in some places believe to be a misguided notion tainable products, including organic agenda. NBC Universal’s motto is in Chicago, along with newspapers than in others,” she said. “Some that somehow we can save the stations have responded with green planet, when in fact what we are pages on which they post stories talking about is trying to save our- and link to others. Some newspa- selves from ourselves. The planet is pers, such as Burlington, Vt. [the too big for many people to care Burlington Free Press], do much about. Where do you start?” more green coverage because there Perhaps with the SEJ Conference, Waste-to-Energy is a local appetite for it.” where members will be discussing these questions and presenting Green Web Sites speakers and experts who may have Ms. Connell recently compiled an answers. Offering solutions to today’s challenges. informal list to show Gannett proper- “The SEJ has conferences, ties with green sites or green coverage. newsletters and other opportunities It was more than 20 outlets, including for journalists to be current with Newsquest’s Green Guardian Cam- what kinds of stories are being cov- paign, a go-to guide to recycling in the ered and how they are being covered. • Reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), So it’s a good place to see what others and the Arizona Republic’s AZ are doing and what topics are hot,” Green.com Web site. The latter links to said Kim Carlson, eco-preneur, • Generating clean, renewable energy. Green Sources for Arizona, a site green living expert and author of the where locals can learn about carbon upcoming book “Green Your Work: footprints with a carbon calculator, Boost Your Bottom Line While • Avoiding greenhouse gas releases. read a green newsletter and check out Reducing Your Eco-Footprint.” Earth 911,which provides local recy- “The whole media outlook is cling and environmental information. changing. It’s becoming more • Providing compatibility with recycling. Another Gannett Group product diverse and more fractured, so you is Nashville’s TennesseeGreen.com. have to take that into account,” said The Web site is part of Mr. Wheeler. • Recovering energy from trash. TeamGreen.com, a Middle Ten- “I think there will continue to be nessee group that organizes events more and more people involved in focused on health, well-being and informing the public about these • Serving communities across the nation. the environment. issues,” he said. “Whether they’re “Some newspapers do commit to going to be working for newspapers yearlong coverage of things,” said or radio or TV stations, or from Mr. Wheeler. “Some media do things magazines or Web sites or blogging, like the Climate Connection that its importance is going to be just as National Public Radio did. That took strong if not stronger a few years an entire year and involved virtually down the road. The issues are just everybody on their staff, generating too important and we’re not going stories from all around the planet on to solve them off in the next four how the climate was changing and years, whomever is elected presi- how it was affecting the way people dent. The issue of climate change is 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 801 • Washington, DC 20005 • 202-467-6240 • www.wte.org were living.” going to be with us for decades.” ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 45 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 6:41 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 45

ON THE CASE ABC News correspondent Bill Blakemore travels the world spearheading the network’s global KNBC’S GROVER: warming coverage. LOCAL CRUSADER work there, but he felt that some- Investigative Reporter thing had to be done.” Digs Beneath the First the producers did initial research on their own, verifying the Surface on the L.A. tip. “The tipster had hundreds of photos to back up his claim—pic- Environmental Beat tures of rodent-gnawed boxes of By Allison J.Waldman produce and broken pipes and Special to TelevisionWeek filth. But you can’t commit months As an experienced investigative documenting and investigating a reporter for KNBC-TV in Los Ange- problem if we’re not really confi- THE EARTH les, Joel Grover has been doing dent that it exists,” said Mr. Grover. exemplary work for a dozen years, “We don’t break the law. We and has been recognized with a walk into places and if we’re asked slew of awards, including the to leave, we do. Nobody asked us Peabody, 16 Emmys and five to leave the market when we went National Edward R. Murrow in.” After two days, they knew they IS HIS BEAT Awards. He knows quite a bit about GET THE LEAD OUT had a story. reporting and recently has done Joel Grover’s report for They planned a two-prong ABC News’ Blakemore Sounds the Alarm two major environmental pieces. KNBC-TV uncovered attack—first, the undercover por- “I’m fortunate at KNBC that I lead in the drinking tion, in which they spent months at By Hillary Atkin of the golden toad, a creature that have a lot of latitude to pursue the water in L.A. schools. the market documenting the filthy Special to TelevisionWeek had been the country’s mascot and stories that I’m interested in, and conditions, which the Health For ABC News correspondent had lived in deeply protected areas everything I do I feel a real pas- there is a school bond measure that Department knew about; and sec- Bill Blakemore, the greatest failure of high altitude, cloud-covered trop- sion about. These two stories if passed, would allocate $50 mil- ond, confronting the inspectors. of mainstream media is in not ade- ical forests. His closing line: “Sooner especially so,” said Mr. Grover. lion to get the lead out of the water Week after week, KNBC cameras quately telling the story of the or later, the one nature preserve One was of particular impor- in the schools through a variety of documented filthy conditions such impact of global warming on our we’ll have to watch out for is the tance to Mr. Grover because it deals means,” he said. as workers dumping trash wherever planet. entire Earth.” with children. As the father of twin The other major environmental they please and workers picking up “The planet has one borderless Previously, Mr. Blakemore was 15-month-olds, he was particularly story, “Contaminated,” won a Mur- produce off the sludgy ground and swirling mass, and the basic ethical the Rome bureau chief for ABC upset to learn that there was lead in row Award. Mr. Grover’s broadcast selling it as though it were clean. fact about the story is it’s a challenge News, covering the entire papacy of the drinking water at L.A. public uncovered health hazards at one of Thanks to KNBC and Mr. to humanity as a whole,” Mr. Blake- Pope John Paul II, reporting from schools. “This was more than an Los Angeles’ two wholesale pro- Grover’s story, the owners of the more said. “The additional moral the beginning of it in 1978 in tan- environmental story,” said Mr. duce markets, the Seventh Street market spent a fortune cleaning dimension is the worst impacts are dem with the late . Grover. He and his team spent Produce Market downtown. “This the place, which is now spotless. going to hit the poorest people in His reportage three months investigating Los is where thousands of Southern Los Angeles is a huge city, but the world. For geographical and also includes the first Gulf War, the Angeles County schools, discover- California restaurants and stores it’s not unique. “My advice to economic reasons, those are the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, ing that thousands of children had get their fruits and vegetables. Like environmental journalists is that people putting the least amount of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, been drinking from water foun- most major cities, L.A. has a if you work in a major city, there is greenhouse gases into the air.” assassinations, hostage crises and tains in which they found an wholesale market where restau- a wholesale produce market like Mr. Blakemore first became natural disasters. unsafe amount of lead. To make rants and markets come to buy this where restaurants get their interested in the topic after hearing “The first 35 years were a warm- matters worse, district officials had their food,” said Mr. Grover. produce,” said Mr. Grover. “It is a lectures in the late 1960s at the Uni- up—the wars, the popes and terror- known about the problem for years The market supplied millions story that is worth looking into. versity of Beirut on the subject of ism—and a great privilege, but they but never told the public. of people in California, Arizona Many health departments in the extinction of certain species. He were by comparison an apprentice- “Lead over a long period of time and Nevada. “The story began major cities are lax. was a teacher of literature and Eng- ship,” Mr. Blakemore told Televi- can affect brain development,” Mr. when we got a tip from a whistle- “If you don’t have an insider like lish at the time. Two years after that, sionWeek from his office in New Grover said. “A kid wouldn’t be sick blower, someone who was a ven- we did, the first thing to do is pull he joined ABC News as a reporter, York, where he has been based since for a week or a month, but it has dor at the Seventh Street Market,” the inspection records. And a good but it was almost two and a half 1984. long-term effects on learning.” said Mr. Grover. “The conditions reporter can go into these markets decades later that he did his first Now, Mr. Blakemore spearheads After KNBC’s story, there were there were violating state and and just talk to people. We do a lot story on the effects of a changing the alphabet network’s coverage of hearings about the problem and county health regulations. He said of undercover work. You can do this environment—based upon a situa- global warming, and with Washing- promises were made to do dis- the health inspectors scoffed at kind of story—and the lead story, tion he learned about while on an ton-based producer/photographer trictwide testing in all 800 L.A. his complaints—repeatedly. He too—with just a little bit of old- eco-vacation in Costa Rica. Clayton Sandell, travels the globe schools. “On the November ballot, had left the market, refusing to fashioned journalism.” ■ It was about the disappearance Continued on Page 47

American Farmland Trust: Helping farms and ranches grow greener to address the nation’s most pressing environmental and resource concerns.

www.farmland.org 202.331.7300 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 46 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 7:02 PM Page 1

46 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

Q&A WOODRUFF PUTS

STUDIED UP Research for each episode of “Stuff Happens,” Bill Nye’s half-hour series on Planet Green, is ‘EARTH’ IN FOCUS extensive. Ex-ABC Newsman Takes on Eco-Issues in Up-to-the-Minute Planet Green Show Bob Woodruff is the consummate news pro, a veteran of ABC News who survived a near-death experience BILL NYE, while covering the war in Iraq. He has come back from the worst of it, and as he told TelevisionWeek, “I feel great. I’ve gotten a lot of my words back. I still suffer from aphasia.” Today Mr. Woodruff files weekly ‘STUFF’ GUY reports about the environment as the anchor of “Focus Earth With Bob Science Icon’s New Series Explains ‘How Come’ Woodruff” on Planet Green. “Focus By Allison J.Waldman Earth” is a comprehensive eco-news- Special to TelevisionWeek cast in which Mr. Woodruff covers You know Bill Nye. He’s the Sci- such subjects as climate impact, ence Guy, and now he’s also the guy , political explaining how the things we do, the debate and world events. food we eat, the products we use and In anticipation of this week’s 18th FOCUSED Bob Woodruff, all that kind of stuff happens. The annual SEJ Conference at Virginia a veteran ABC News name of the show is, in fact, “Stuff Tech University, Mr. Woodruff spoke reporter who covered Happens,” and it’s a brand of how-to with TelevisionWeek correspondent wars and international and how-come environmental jour- Allison J. Waldman about “Focus news, says climate that’s brought countries together. If nalism wrapped in an Earth.” change is his most you like traveling, if you like report- half-hour that really works. important beat yet. ing around the world and around The Planet Green show has been TelevisionWeek: Tell us about the the country from state to state, this airing on the cable net since last June new show you’re doing on Planet warming, environmental shifts, cer- is probably the most important kind and the response has been extremely Green,“Focus Earth.” tainly the use of fossil fuels, gas of journalism that exists right now. positive. One reviewer, Melissa Cama- Bob Woodruff: This is up-to-date, prices, these things have made this cho on Commonsensemedia.org, breaking news on what’s happening real for so many lives in this country. TVWeek: What do you think are said the show “succeeds in demon- Extraordinary Life of Everyday in the environment that week. There’s Now, journalistically, what you’re cer- going to be the most important envi- strating how our everyday actions can Things.” “Discovery had some execu- a lot of reporting on environmental tainly going to see at the SEJ confer- ronmental stories in the years to tives at the time that wanted to do a issues, but a lot of them are shot way ence between Oct. 15-19, is how the come? television series based on that book— in advance and are not really reflect- next generation really looks at envi- Mr. Woodruff: When you look at “There are huge you know, how you buy a cup of Star- ing just what broke or happened ronmental reporting. For so many some of the issues that have domi- environmental buck’s Coffee and the coffee comes recently. There is some reporting, decades, I’ve covered wars, interna- nated the reporting in the last many from Africa, the paper comes from everything from newspapers, maga- tional news and reporting, but cli- years, it’s been largely wars and tribal effects ... [and] trees in North Carolina and the paper zines and the networks as well, but mate change is perhaps the most conflicts, and sometimes those are impacts from the is made from the trees with sulfur not single programs where they are important one for me. explained by some kind of economic that’s mined in Canada,” said Mr. Nye. doing an entire half-hour reporting or religious conflict. But what I think choices you make “It’s a global reach for things that on breaking news. That’s what we’re TVWeek: Would you advise a per- you’re seeing more is that it’s now seem ordinary everyday. It turns out trying to do. Whatever is happening son getting into the media today to largely based on food and water. I as a consumer.” that there are huge environmental that week, whether it’s in politics, sci- pursue the environmental beat? think a lot of reporters are investigat- Bill Nye, “Stuff Happens” effects, environmental impacts from ence, around the world, we’re trying Mr. Woodruff: Certainly. First, this ing this kind of thing and there’s a the choices you make as a consumer.” to get those stories to people so they is incredibly important to the future wide belief that the next big oil is have unintended—and far-reach- know what’s happening. of our country and the world and our water. The water levels below the ing—consequences on the planet, all Environment No. 1 lives. Secondly, what I’ve always been land in China are going down. You’re in a very non-threatening way.” According to Mr. Nye, as impor- TVWeek: Is environmental jour- somewhat addicted to is internation- seeing some countries where there’s For environmental reporters and tant as other issues are—the financial nalism a particular discipline that a al reporting. I have said many times just not enough water, so there are journalists looking for a way to take crisis, the problems overseas with our reporter has to learn? over the last five years, you have seen tribal conflicts that are just about complicated issues and making them military, and a huge in Mr. Woodruff: You’re a journalist. the borders of the world really disap- water. In January, I was in Sudan and understandable and even entertain- jail—the environment is No. 1. “Of This is what we do in our entire pear, even though our country was went to Darfur. I was with a geologist ing, Bill Nye is someone to emulate. everything that’s going on right now, careers. You study a new Ph.D. to cov- separated from the world by the who is now trying to figure out how to The Emmy Award-winning host’s the biggest problem of all is climate er what we’re doing. I’m sure you’ve Atlantic on the east and the Pacific on get more water to the people in Dar- angle in “Stuff Happens” is to be change. That is the most serious thing shifted from one thing to another. the west. I think that is largely now fur. Yes, there is a political issue in the instructive, but not preachy. “This is going on right now, and people are The great thing about this for jour- gone. The relationship with the world conflict there, there’s a diplomatic the ‘Science Guy’ approach here,” just now starting to accept that idea. nalists is that this gives you a chance is tightening, and one of the main issue to it and a religious issue, there’s said Mr. Nye. “It’s what we do. Most of The trouble with it is that it’s such an to learn something brand-new. I have reasons for the tightening is not just power and control coming from the stuff happened by accident. Peo- enormous problem that it doesn’t certainly been looking and studying the economy, not just the diplomatic Khartoum, no question. But there is ple did not intend to destroy eco-sys- seem real. It’s too incredible to most science for years. There has been a relationships, but also largely also a shortage of water, and that is tems when they started feeding pigs of us at first. We all share the air. Our difficulty trying to get a lot of this because of pollution, use of fossil causing conflicts there as well. It’s a anchovies, but they did.” science stories may not be as interest- reported in the past. The world now fuels, emissions are now flowing new way to look at a lot of these issue, The idea for “Stuff Happens” start- ing as our environmental stories, but has absolutely woken up to global around the world in a large circle and Continued on Page 47 ed with a book called “Stuff: The Continued on Page 47 TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 47 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 7:04 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 47

COLLABORATOR Washington-based producer/photographer as large as it is, but I think there are Clayton Sandell travels the world with Bill

going to be more to follow. We are Bill Blakemore Blakemore to cover WOODRUFF seeing in politics: Running for pres- BEAT climate change. Continued from Page 46 ident this year, the environment is a Continued from Page 45 the shortages of food and water. It’s much bigger issue than it ever was from the tropics to the polar regions probably going to lead to a flow of in previous campaigns. It’s a grow- to report on the impacts and dan- refugees in the future. ing subject and you’re going to see gers of climate change, as well as more Planet Green type of channels possible solutions. The two journal- TVWeek: Working on “Focus in the future. When you have a sin- ists use a hand-held digital video Earth,” do you ever wonder if you’ll gle channel committed to one sub- camera and travel light—and run out of stories each week? ject, the environment, you can do cheaply, a big change from the days Mr. Woodruff: No, there are much more. of multiperson crews and crates of 17,000 stories we could cover every heavy equipment that Mr. Blake- week. The big challenge is deciding TVWeek: What kind of response more likened to the old “white man which ones to cover. Part of the have you received for “Focus Earth”? on safari” ethic. reporting is which is the emerging Mr. Woodruff: It’s been very “Various executives have talked danger, and the other is the possibili- positive. People have been quite about the possibility of having an certain amphibian species— solid science,” he said. ty of recovery, that is, how do we fix impressed by the fact that we are official unit, but I kept feeling that based upon his 1994 piece about “The issue of global warming this? There are things that we can do now reporting breaking news on since this story needs to have as the extinction of Costa Rica’s was highly confused because it now to improve our future and help Planet Green. I think there are some many different kinds of reporters golden toad—when he learned had been politicized. It is seen as the world for our children and grand- people who would like to see even and producers as possible coming about three separate scientific one of greatest failures of our pro- children. This is not negative report- more of this kind of reporting on at it from every angle, it wouldn’t studies on the impact of man- fession: We were successfully ing, this is not frightening reporting. the networks, and I think that’s help to send out the impression made global warming. fooled by a vigorous disinforma- This is a mixture of a waking up, intel- starting to change. that there was already a gang taking “The bottom line was that they tion campaign—documented in ligence and scientific answers to care of it,” said Mr. Blakemore. said nearly 35% of species on the first-rate books—of energy compa- improve what is happening. TVWeek: You’re still doing ABC “That said, we have definitely built planet could be extinct or close to nies and PR firms to sow doubt. News, too, right? a core group in what we sometimes extinction by 2050. I became This is an event story, like when a TVWeek: What do you think of Mr. Woodruff: Oh yes, absolutely. call our ‘non-unit,’ or more exactly astonished at this story and started volcano blows, that needs more the Planet Green network? I’m not anchoring; I’m reporting on a our ‘global warming working group’ following up,” Mr. Blakemore said. perspective and understanding. Mr. Woodruff: I think there are wide range of stories. I’m doing or team. Clayton Sandell and I run “To be a journalist is to be edited There is constant skepticism on going to be more channels like it. longer, more in-depth pieces. I’ve got it, so to speak. Researcher Gerard well, and the editorial process at which side to believe.” This is the leader, the first to do this my diversity back, which is great. ■ Middleton supplies it with a regular ABC is rigorous. I love that. But I In traveling the world to cover daily sweep of headlines from had to go through about two years the story—including pieces from around the world. We have evolved locales such as the Jakobshavn a ‘Climate and Environment Distri- “[With global Glacier in Greenland, the Our job is to narrow things down.” bution List,’ which has grown Caribbean and California’s San In one episode, called “The steadily and now includes all EPs warming] there Joaquin Valley, Mr. Blakemore has ‘STUFF’ Bathroom,” Mr. Nye presents the and execs and most producers and found that doing it in a low-budget Continued from Page 46 benefits of an environmentally many correspondents.” is constant skep- way, even hitchhiking in some it’s all important, and the environ- smart toilet bowl, explains why peo- With planet Earth now his beat, ticism on which places, actually enhances the ment is vital for everyone.” ple shouldn’t flush unused pharma- Mr. Blakemore said he feels fortu- reporting. “We discovered we were Watching “Stuff Happens” is not ceuticals down the drain and traces nate to have had a childhood in side to believe.” getting much better material, unlike a really good educational how toothpaste has endangered which he was given an opportunity Bill Blakemore, correspondent, ABC News because we were never really cut off film, the kind you might remember great apes across the globe. “Orang- to be positively exposed to the won- from the story. Room service cuts seeing in school. That may be where utan habitats were destroyed when ders of nature. Growing up in where various people would say, ‘I you off,” he said. this show winds up eventually. they tried to make toothpaste,” said Chicago, he spent childhood sum- think he’s swallowed the Kool-Aid.’ In addition to reporting for all “We’ll cross that bridge when we get Mr. Nye. “That wasn’t the idea. In mers in western , enjoying Some said global warming was ABC News broadcasts and Internet, to it. First we have to get people to fact, palm oil seemed like a very the wooded sand dunes, streams only natural cycles. There are all radio and print platforms, Mr. find Planet Green on their cable box cool, natural product. What’s not to and lakes. He still returns there types and varieties of denial. It’s Blakemore is also the anchor of or their satellite dish. We’ll start with love? Still, what about the effect on every year. inevitable. I don’t look down at “Nature’s Edge,” a weekly program that,” said Mr. Nye. the orangutans.” Throughout his career, Mr. anyone who’s in denial.” on climate and environment news While a book was the inspira- Blakemore was always interested His reporting culminated in an on ABC News NOW, the network’s Extensive Research tion for “Stuff Happens,” Mr. Nye in doing hard news stories that edition of “” on global digital channel. It may soon expand Research for “Stuff Happens” is and his team rely on research explored the collision between warming and extinction in 2005. from 15 minutes to a half-hour, and extensive, with each episode cover- when writing every episode. His man and nature. “In a certain Mr. Blakemore said he decided will include reports from student ing a specific topic, like “The advice to other environmental sense, it’s been a 38-year quest, to early on to only use only statured, correspondents and overseas Kitchen,” “Breakfast,” “Pets” and journalists is simple. “Go to the explore the intersection of nature peer-reviewed and academically reporters. “The Attic.” “We had a team of writ- right sources. The stuff in the inter- and human nature into hard news. independent scientists as sources. “It’s about the relationship of ers, but when push came to shove governmental panel on climate Not a documentary, but hard “As you get into a story, you nature and human nature,” Mr. there were just three of us, which is change is accurate, while the stuff news. I recognized a feeling that observe your own reactions, and I Blakemore said. “We vowed to fine. There are so many books and from people who have an agenda we should be covering the subject reflected on how eager I was at one always anchor it from outdoors, no so much information on the Web associated with evangelical Chris- with the same kind of urgency with point to believe [the denials]. I went matter what the weather—cold, that we can find,” said Mr. Nye. “The tianity may not be as accurate,” which we cover war, finance, poli- back down and did a whole “Night- rainy or snowy. It adds interest to other thing that’s a big problem said Mr. Nye. “My advice is to con- tics and health,” he said. line” on global warming and extinc- the cliché of expected video, and whenever you want to make a tele- sider the source. You can’t trust In 2004, he was doing a follow- tion in 2005, the first major declara- standing there in three layers of vision show is what to leave out. Wikipedia for everything.” ■ up story about the extinction of tion on this network, and it was woolies adds texture.” ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 48 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 7:06 PM Page 1

48 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO POLAR ROUTE FOR CABLE NEWS North Pole Ice Melt, Imperiled Bears Spur Expeditions, Coverage on MSNBC and CNN By Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek Global warming, ice melt at the North Pole and the presumed deci- mation of the polar bear are big issues AT SEA Scientists in the for conservationists and big news in DAMOCLES Project the environmental arena, and pro- spent 21 months working GLOBE TROTTER CNN’s ducers at both CNN and MSNBC aboard the research ship “Planet in Peril,” which wanted to get a firsthand look at the Tara, navigating the Arc- took , point of origin. tic waters. left, to Cameroon, later MSNBC purchased a documen- visited the North Pole. tary based on the DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term ) Project, com- posed of 45 scientific organizations worldwide. Some of those DAMO- CLES scientists spent from May 2006 to February 2008 adrift in the Arctic waters, working aboard the research ship Tara, which also carried mem- bers of a French film crew document- ing the perilous journey. The resulting 90-minute film, shot cold, permanent night or day, the el elevation by about 1 meter on the ice in high definition, explores movements of ice sheets or the storms before the century ends. both the perils of the expedition itself … and the threat of the bears, driven and the fragility of the receding Arctic to the heart of the Arctic because of CNN Excursion ice, with its ramifications for the the ice pack disappearance.” Last year, CNN’s four-hour envi- Earth’s climate and population in the The crew’s most disturbing find- ronmental documentary “Planet in coming decades. ing, Mr. Smith said, is that “the ice is Peril” sent anchor Anderson Cooper lishes limits on the ocean areas that country said, ‘How can we pull this Network producers will “re-edit, melting so much faster in the Arctic along with medical correspondent Dr. countries can claim. country back from the brink?’” he take out a half-hour and put in CGI than anyone anticipated.” It’s melting Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet “Everybody’s after those said. “So they put their energy back graphics and interviews with the Sci- so fast, in fact, that scientists from the wildlife biologist and host resources,” Mr. Moore said. “It’s pretty into their own natural resources.” entific Naval Institute and other peo- DAMOCLES Project believe the Arctic to the South Pacific’s sinking Carteret ironic, considering it’s because of The primary resource is the ple who’ve been studying global summer ice pack will melt away with- Islands and other locations that are global warming that the ice is melting mountain gorilla, and there are warming,” said MSNBC in the next 10-15 years— already facing dire consequences due enough for people to get to them.” fewer than 700 of them left in the longform producer Tim much more rapidly than to rising sea levels. This year, CNN added award- world, more than half in Rwanda’s Smith. “Journey to the Top earlier predicted, even by This year’s two-hour follow-up, winning journalist to the Parc National des Volcans, where of the World” will air in so-called “doom and “Planet in Peril: Battle Lines,” also vis- investigative team for “Planet in National Geographic Adventures, January, he said, and will gloom” experts. its the North Pole, where the ice has Peril: Battle Lines.” Ms. Ling, who Gorilla Safaris and other groups include new footage that According to the expe- become a melting battleground for has reported on gang rape in the bring in tourists to see the animals will be shot at the Pole dition’s Web site, some another conflict, this time for owner- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Diane Fosse spent her life studying. with an MSNBC anchor. scientists aboard Tara ship of natural resources buried on Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia The remaining gorillas are just over “We wanted to tell a predict the summer ice the ocean floor. Tech massacre and other stories as the border, in the Democratic story about global warm- pack could disappear “Who owns [the ice pack]? Who a special correspondent for Republic of the Congo. ing, but not through a TIM SMITH within 8-10 years. owns what’s underneath it?” said “Oprah,” will join Mr. Cooper and “Rwanda has now become a mod- ‘survey’ approach. We MSNBC “This extreme cli- “Planet in Peril: Battle Lines” execu- Dr. Gupta. “She has a unique set of el for shaky countries, to learn how to didn’t want to do a pow- mate event of global tive producer Charlie Moore. “Every- investigative skills that fit with the protect and promote their own natu- er-point presentation,” Mr. Smith importance would have enormous one’s interested in it. The U.S. is tone this time out,” Mr. Moore said. ral resources,” Mr. Moore said. “That said. “We wanted a fly-on-the-wall consequences on our environment actively mapping the ocean floor to In addition to the North Pole, the tourism is the third-largest generator story, with wonderful human drama and consequently drastic socioeco- figure out how far the continental “Battle Lines,” investigative team vis- of foreign capital for the country. They and a scientific story on top of it. We nomic impacts affecting human shelf extends, because it’s been esti- ited Cameroon and the Congo, where have a vested interest in protecting feel this is an effective way of reach- beings, human health and human mated that 25% of the world’s lack of food has driven residents their natural resources. ing out to people.” activities, in particular for inhabi- remaining oil reserves are there. And deep into the jungle, only to find they “When you look just over the bor- Emmanuel Roblin, who co- tants living in Europe, North Amer- we’re the ones who haven’t signed the are exposed to deadly and previously der at the Congo, they have the same directed the French film along with ica, Russia and Siberia.” Law of the Sea Treaty.” unknown diseases; Indonesia, where population of gorillas, and it’s terri- Thierry Ragobert, said on the pro- According to those predictions, The Third United Nations Law of operations to strip shark fins have bly unstable,” he said. “If Rwanda’s a ject’s Web site: “This movie is not one if the Arctic summer ice pack dis- the Sea Treaty was adopted in 1982 to helped decimate the world’s shark model of how to do it right, then the more movie on the devastation appears, 80% of the solar energy establish rules governing the world’s population by 90%; and South Africa, Congo is a model of how to do it caused by CO2 but rather an attempt the ice would normally reflect oceans, replacing previous treaties Peru, the U.S., Taiwan, Rwanda and wrong. No one even knows if their to understand how warming affects back into the atmosphere will pre- and providing development financing other locations. But Mr. Moore insist- gorilla population is alive, because the Arctic and how the Arctic influ- sumably be absorbed by the for underdeveloped and developing ed the documentary is “not all doom no one can get to the area where ences the rest of the planet.” oceans, leading to accelerated nations. It also requires countries that and gloom.” they are anymore.” The scientists, Tara crew and film- melting of continental ice on sign the treaty to adopt regulations to “In Rwanda, where a million peo- CNN plans to air the hi-def special makers “fought incessantly against the Greenland and increasing sea lev- control marine pollution and estab- ple were killed just a decade ago, the later this year. ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 49 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 8:00 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 49

FRESH IDEA Food Network’s Good Food Garden in San Francisco, unveiled Aug. 28, is 10 feet by 16 feet and filled with seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs. SCRIPPS: but this is meant to be something that lives more off-air. But it can be integrated into on-air if it makes sense. This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it consider- ing food costs, the economy as it is. … People are building gardens in their back yards.” THE GREEN When the reality competition show “The Next Food Network Star” returns in 2009, watch for the gardens to appear in at least one episode. “We’re talking to our pro- gramming department and when we build a garden in New York City, TEAM we might have somebody from a show stop by and pick fruits and Lifestyle Leader Practices What It Preaches vegetables from it and then cook with them,” said Ms. Welch. By Allison J.Waldman hood hunger, obesity—all those Food Network is seeing positive Special to TelevisionWeek things are interrelated. So we part- results from the gardens thus far Across the dial, media outlets nered with Share Our Strength in the soil. It completely degrades wonderful historical curriculum and expects more to come as the have been creating original, inno- 2006. They’re our exclusive chari- right into the soil,” said Ms. Welch. around the gardens. Have you program expands in 2009. “If you vative ways to connect with the table partner, which means that “These are meant to be as low- ever heard of the three sisters? It’s address the issue of childhood public on environmental topics. we work with them and really only maintenance as humanly possi- different plants that can grow hunger by teaching children how to At lifestyle powerhouse Scripps them. We felt that was the best ble. We source the wood locally. together and they create their own grow their own food, they are more Networks, the environmental ini- way to really make a difference.” For the San Francisco garden, for trellising system. It’s how Native likely to eat it. Fruits and vegetables tiative extends across a broad Food Network recently example, the wood was from Americans used to plant. It’s that everyone thinks kids don’t range of platforms and touches announced the Good Food Gar- Northern California. Every step is things that you and I don’t know, want to eat, this addresses that on company practices as well as dens charitable platform. “We’re meant to be as green as possible.” but it’s great for kids to learn. issue,” said Ms. Welch. programming. leading the charge,” said Ms. Each garden can also become a There’s a context to food that they “The kids get really proud Scripps Networks’ cable chan- Welch. “We’re working with Teich teaching tool. “With the gardens just don’t have normally when when they grow the food. They’re nels include HGTV, Food Network, Garden Systems of South Salem, comes a curriculum—ideas for they go to the supermarket.” almost protective of their little DIY Network, Fine Living and Great N.Y., and they developed the for- teachers. What do you do with Food Network will roll out PSAs plants. We don’t have to go to a American Country, and they are mats for the gardens. They make your harvest? How do you cook on air about the Good Food Gar- school system necessarily, we can seen in more than 95 million this so much more accessible.” your vegetables and fruit? How do den initiative with the support of work with charter schools or homes across the U.S., in more Food Network will create com- you prepare healthy recipes? It’s the stars of the network as well as community centers to reach the than 175 territories worldwide, as pletely customized gardens that not heavy-handed, but it’s help- the support staff. “All the chefs have children without getting tied up well as online and on satellite radio. can be built on any surface with a ful,” said Ms. Welch. “There’s some expressed an interest in the effort, in the bureaucracy.” ■ full irrigation system, top-quality “Every step organic soil, raised planting beds and support for trellising vines. The [in creating gardens are a tangible way to teach kids where food comes from and the Good Food encourage them to take pride and Gardens] is learn by growing fresh fruits and vegetables from start to finish. meant to be A sample Good Food Garden— as green as 10 feet by 16 feet, built out of cedar wood, protected with heavy-duty possible.” fencing, making it an enclosed Carrie Welch, Food Network space with a sturdy door that can be locked—was revealed Aug. 28 Within the corporation, Scripps in San Francisco. The garden was has a “Green Team” and an internal filled with seasonal fruits, vegeta- employee-driven environmental bles and herbs; event goers toured group newsletter. SN Digital, the the garden and saw how it works. interactive division of Scripps Net- “We’ve identified a few different works, recently launched Eco- cities where we want to build a gar- logue.com, a Web site to inspire den,” Ms. Welch said. “We know we healthy, practical, eco-friendly want to do one in New York in IN A WORD, IT’S GLASS. changes to homes, gardens and March or April. We’re going to run a everyday life. contest through Time Warner “We heard from HGTV fans that Cable, hopefully, asking viewers if 73% of consumers say they prefer the PURITY of GLASS. they craved a smart, relevant and they know a community center approachable source where they that needs a garden. People will 77% of consumers say they like how glass protects a product’s FLAVOR. could dip their toes into a green then submit to us why they think 74% of consumers say they like the WHOLESOMENESS of GLASS.* lifestyle and easily take their first there should be a garden in their green steps without being over- school or community center. We And it’s 100% RECYCLABLE. whelmed,” said Deanna Brown, can only build so many gardens, so president of SN Digital. right now we have plans for four Food Network, meanwhile, has gardens in the first half of 2009.” GLASS, the original recyclable packaging. launched an environmental initia- Reporters and broadcasters To learn more, visit www.gpi.org/pure tive in the real world, as opposed looking for a good story can find to the cyber-world. “This is a new many in these Good Food Gar- area for Food Network that we’re dens. “This project addresses really excited about because it’s childhood hunger in a totally dif- part of Food Network wanting to ferent way. The gardens are be more of voice of the people,” green—that is important to envi- said Carrie Welch, VP of public ronmental journalists—but they *National poll by Newton Marketing & Research (Sample error +/- 3%) relations for Food Network. also have biodegradable paper “Issues surrounding food, child- that over the year turns over into TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 50 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 8:02 PM Page 1

50 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO SEJ AWARDS

VANISHING After being reintroduced to the wild, California condors COUSTEAUS WARY started dying off again. OF SEA CHANGE For Presentation Hosts, Environmental Health Starts With the Oceans By Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek A highlight of the 18th Annual SEJ Conference in Roanoke, Va., will be the presentation by the Society of Environmental Journalists of its sev- enth annual awards for reporting on the environment, taking place Wednesday at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. Thirty finalists culled from more than 230 entries in 11 categories, including a student category, are competing for the awards, with proj- ects focusing on topics including energy and climate, politics and energy, ethanol production and food SEJ AWARDS: FINALIST shortages, toxic bullets in condors, toxic trailers and land abuse. Hosted by Philippe and Alexan- dra Cousteau, grandchildren of the legendary explorer Jacques ADVOCATES Philippe Cousteau and celebrated ocean Cousteau, above and at explorers in their own right, and SEJ near left, formed the ocean advocacy group SAVING THE board member Jeff Burnside of WTVJ-TV in Miami, the event will EarthEcho International four years ago with his honor television, radio, print and sister Alexandra, far left. online winners with $1,000 prizes, along with the new $10,000 Environment Book Award through an environmental lens. for the best published nonfiction The environment should be the CONDOR environment book of 2007. first thing on the list.” Mr. Cousteau also complimented find out why. The result, “Quest: Oceans Crucial BBC’s news coverage, calling the net- KQED-TV Probes the Condors vs. Lead Bullets,” is one of As might be expected, the work a “global citizen. Europe is 10 to Deaths of Continent’s three finalists for the SEJ’s out- Cousteaus’ environmental focus 15 years ahead of the U.S. in renew- standing story, television category. begins with the planet’s oceans, able energy,” he said, adding that Largest Flying Birds According to the Fish and stressing that if the polluted oceans [improving the environment] “means By Jarre Fees Wildlife Service, the California con- cannot recover, the planet itself can- greener, more sustainable jobs.” Special to TelevisionWeek dor can weigh up to 25 pounds and not be healed. and has lectured at the United Ms. Cousteau, named one of When the number of California stand 45 to 55 inches tall, with a “Water is our most pressing envi- Nations, said modern society makes National Geographic’s “Emerging condors in the wild dropped to 21 wingspan of 9.5 feet. The highly ronmental challenge at this point,” it hard to get people to focus on Explorers” for 2008, pointed out that or 22 in the late 1980s, the U.S. intelligent, very social birds are said Ms. Cousteau. “We feel the cli- what’s really important. the environment is a big part of glob- Fish and Wildlife Service stepped believed to live about 40 years in mate change, but we see it [with “The situation is very difficult to al news, even when networks and in. Loss of habitat, along with the the wild. regards to] water. We feel it when sum up in a 30-second sound bite,” viewers aren’t aware of it. “It’s how we condors’ habit of eating the car- there’s a hurricane or a drought, he said. “Ocean currents, climate connect the dots between stories,” casses of poisoned pest animals Habitat Loss which makes it more tangible than change and weather fluctuate over she said, “like things that are happen- and ingesting lead bullets left in “In the old days, they were climate change.” time. The impacts of climate change ing in Australia, South America, game animals, had decimated the hunted,” Mr. Rogers said. “People Ms. Cousteau, who worked with are slow-moving, relative to the 30- and Europe. population of the continent’s used condor feathers to make fan- South American environmental second lifestyle. And we’re getting “In China, they’re diverting an largest flying bird. cy hats for women. And then there groups for two years to strengthen 1,000 brand hits a day competing entire river system. In some places Scientists caught those birds was habitat loss. Because it flies so local fisheries management, said she for our attention.” people are afraid because their towns and implemented a controversial far—it can do 150 miles in a day—it thought Europe “has a better attitude are running out of water. We’re not captive breeding program, primari- requires a fairly large habitat. when it comes to climate change, but SEJ Praised educating people. We don’t look ly in the Los Angeles and San Diego “The breeding program was so we all have our own set of issues, and He praised the work of the SEJ, beyond our own borders to see zoos. The return of the California successful that by 2000 there were the ability to legislate and allocate noting that environmental reporting what’s happening elsewhere.” condor through that breeding pro- about 300 in zoos and 100 that had funds.” should not be relegated to the last “One of the challenges in diag- gram and its subsequent reintro- already been released back into Four years ago the sister and part of the newscast. nosing some of these environmental duction to the wild has been closely the wild.” brother formed EarthEcho Interna- “We tend to treat the environ- problems,” said Mr. Cousteau, “is watched for 20 years, and the feder- The birds were released in Baja, tional, a Washington, D.C.-based mental issues as a luxury, as sec- that a lot of our understanding of al government has spent tens of Mexico; in Arizona at the Grand nonprofit organization that focuses ondary, and we need to get out of Deep Ocean is speculation. We don’t millions of dollars to bring the bird Canyon; and in Ventura County on leadership for ocean advocacy that mind-set,” he said. “Environ- know enough about the system. back from the brink of extinction. and at Big Sur and other California and empowerment of the next gener- mental journalism is more than just “Seventy percent of our planet is So when condors reintroduced locations. But over the next few ation through and school curricu- trees falling down and water prices. Deep Ocean, and 95%-98% is unex- to the wild started dying off again, years, scientists started noticing lum, expeditions and media. It affects the economy, public plored. We’ve explored just 5%, most- Paul Rogers and his production some of the same problems they Mr. Cousteau, who is chief ocean health, national security, and we ly coastal,” he said. “We don’t know team at KQED, the PBS and NPR thought had been eliminated by correspondent for Animal Planet need to approach those issues Continued on Page 51 station in San Francisco, wanted to the captive breeding program. TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 51 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 8:29 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 51

“The birds were behaving in for Investigative Reporting, for strange ways,” Mr. Rogers said. “Hot Politics”; Vince Patton, Todd “When they captured and X- COUSTEAU Sonflieth, Nick Fisher and Michael FAMILY WAY SEJ hosts rayed these birds, they found lead Continued from Page 50 Bendixon, Oregon Public Broad- Philippe and Alexandra fragments in their bodies. enough about the system. We casting, “Oregon Field Guide,” for Cousteau are the “The same way lead paint spend 1,000 times more money on “Marmot Dam”; and Dan Rather, grandchildren of explorer affects children, it affects animals space exploration. Wayne Nelson, Chandra Simon, Jacques Cousteau, in the wild.” “I’m not saying space explo- Resa Matthews and Elyse Kaftan, pictured with them at left. When scientists tested the ration is a waste of time,” he added, HDNet, for “Dan Rather Reports: condors, he said, “They found the “but it’s a matter of parity. When we Toxic Trailers.” same chemical signature in the look at how little we know—and Finalists for outstanding televi- birds that’s sold in sports stores how irresponsible we’ve been with sion story include Christopher for bullets.” our resources—we need triage in Bauer, Shirley Gutierrez, Josh Rose, Hunters shoot wild animals and our resources, on our planet. This Sheraz Sadiq and Paul Rogers, leave the carcasses, he said, and the planet is what we need to love. And KQED-TV, for “Quest: Condors vs. condors, which are scavengers, we need as many leaders and Lead Bullets”; Sidharth Pandey, come down to eat those animals. heroes as possible.” NDTV 24x7 in Delhi, India, for Mr. Rogers and his production Finalists for outstanding “Mined to Death”; and Kerry beat/in-depth television reporting Sanders, NBC News, for “Arctic Ice “Hunters are now this year include Peter Bull, Center Melt From the North Pole.” ■ encouraged to bury the organs containing the bullets to prevent scavengers from eating them.” Paul Rogers, KQED

team at “Quest,” which included Chris Bauer, Sheraz Sadiq, Shirley Gutierrez and Josh Rosen, went to the Ventura Wilderness Society in Big Sur, “where they take con- dors and radio-tag and release them in the hills of Big Sur.” Among other conservation- ists, the “Quest” crew met with hunters who were trying to edu- cate other hunters about the lead bullet problem and a Native American leader who spoke about the cultural significance of the condor. Bill Passed They also interviewed Califor- nia Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D- Santa Barbara), who authored a bill to ban the use of lead ammu- nition by hunters within the con- dor range. After “Condors vs. Lead Bullets” aired, that bill was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “A lot of people hunt, and a lot of people eat what they hunt,” Mr. Rogers said, adding that he “had no intention of making an anti-hunting piece.” “Most hunters want to do the right thing,” he said, “and don’t want to drive the largest bird in North America into extinction.” Lead shot has been banned for years for duck hunting, Mr. Rogers said, “but copper bullets cost more and don’t always fly as well. Hunters are now encour- aged to bury the organs contain- ing the bullets to prevent scav- engers from eating them from the carcasses.” “Quest” is a multimedia pro- gram on KQED-TV, a half-hour weekly science and environmen- tal program. The show, funded by the National Science Foundation and a number of Bay Area founda- tions, also has a Web site with educational components includ- ing teachers’ guides, along with downloadable, interactive Web content “so people can go on sci- ence and environmental hikes.” ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 52 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 8:31 PM Page 1

52 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

SEJ AWARDS: FINALIST CRISIS IN INDIA Report by New Delhi ON SITE NBC News’ Station Exposes Illegal Kerry Sanders took a long journey to the Mining Activities North Pole. By Jarre Fees Special to TelevisionWeek “Mined to Death,” Sidharth Pandey’s investigation into three sites being illegally mined in India, is SEJ AWARDS: FINALIST one of three television finalists for the SEJ’s Award for Reporting on the Environment. Mr. Pandey, an investigative reporter for New Delhi’s NDTV 24x7, a WHISTLE BLOWER live English-language station covering Sidharth Pandey’s national and global news, was on his investigation for NDTV way to another assignment when his 24x7 led to arrests. SANDERS ON TOP driver mentioned that local contrac- tors were mining in New Delhi at night. of low sandstone and rocky hills. Mining of raw material such as “They go in, and their bulldozers sand and stone is illegal in the Indian scoop out tons of material. You can state of Delhi, Mr. Pandey said, but see huge pits dug out of the river with new construction flourishing, the bed—all of this is protected land— OF THE WORLD state is “racing to modernize at the and there aren’t any real roads cost of our own environment.” through the forest to get there. Sun Never Set on allowed to take any pictures. seen anyone for three months,” Mr. There’s a 5-kilometer forest buffer After two nights of secretly filming “Murmansk is the home of a Russ- Sanders said, “so they were happy to zone around Delhi, Mr. Pandey said, the clandestine mining operation, Mr. NBC News Reporter’s ian nuclear fleet,” Mr. Sanders said, see us. We got on board the vessel and which is part of the Aravalli mountain Pandey said he went to the nearby “but after a fair amount of negotiating, the cameraman backed up one step range. “The Aravallis are one of the old- office of the Forest Department and Global Warming Trip we found out how to get our pictures and fell down a hole in the boat. He est mountain ranges in the world,” he told them he had discovered there was By Jarre Fees and get the story under way.” was thankfully OK. And they had a said, “and the trees take double time to illegal mining going on in the area. Special to TelevisionWeek Once the Yamal hit the ocean ice, dog, an Alaskan husky that was grow because it’s a hard, rocky area.” “The [Forest Department official] When NBC News correspondent he said, “There was a constant groan trained to bark to warn them of polar When the summer winds blow said there used to be illegal mining in Kerry Sanders set out to do a piece on of cutting ice. We had an attentive bears, but it was so excited it ran into Delhi from the desert, that buffer the area, but that it had ‘completely global warming, he went to the top of crew—whenever they saw a polar around barking like mad because of zone of forest blocks the wind and been stopped, it was absolutely illegal, the world. Mr. Sanders said the news bear or a walrus, they would let us all the people.” protects the area. The trees also help people could go to jail for it.’” team wanted to do the story “from the know. Dmitri, a native Russian, would The research vessel contained a to control pollution, he said. When they aired that clip, Mr. North Pole—ground zero, which is ice shoot the pictures.” variety of ice experts, geologists and When contractors mine for sand to Pandey said, “On the left side of the on the ocean—rather than from The NBC crew had hoped to con- scientists from Russia, Scotland, New make concrete, they cut down trees to screen, the guy is speaking, saying, ‘It Greenland, which is ice on land.” tact a Russian research vessel that was Zealand and the U.S., and “it was get to it. Even if trees are not cut down hasn’t happened for years,’ and on the The result, “Ice Melt From the already collecting data near the Pole, complete chaos.” first, Mr. Pandey said, when contrac- right side we’re showing what we just North Pole,” is one of three finalists for but “radio communications are limit- After spending just one hour tors mine within the forest, “they go so shot the night before, with the sand the Society of Environmental Journal- ed, and satellite communication is aboard the vessel, with barely any deep the trees are killed [anyway].” being taken out.” ists Award for Reporting on the Envi- almost impossible,” Mr. Sanders said. time to speak to the scientists, the The Indian government has But the third site, in the Indian ronment in the television category. After days of traveling, “We finally got helicopter crew announced it was declared the area off-limits to min- state of Rajasthan, revealed “the To get the story, Mr. Sanders and to where we could see the research time to go. So the news crew trudged ing, Mr. Pandey said, “but there’s a big most brazen” of all the illegal mining his cameraman, Dmitri Solvyov, trav- vessel, and the Russian crew decided back to the helicopter and returned building boom. And the 2010 Com- operations, Mr. Pandey said. “[The eled from Miami to New York and then they were willing to get us there. There to the icebreaker, which took them monwealth Games are coming to contractors] had a couple of hun- to Helsinki, Finland, and finally to was a helicopter on board, and they on to the North Pole. Delhi, and that means construction dred trucks there in broad daylight, Murmansk, Russia, a city of 700,000 flew us over.” The ice itself turned out to be the for that as well.” and we had to [figure out] how these north of the Arctic Circle. Once the decision was made to fly story Mr. Sanders was not expecting. Contracts go to the lowest bidder, guys got away with it.” Once they left Russia, it took 15 to the research ship, the adventure “It turned out to be the greatest ice Mr. Pandey said, but “no one asks you In the end, Mr. Pandey said, he days to get to the North Pole aboard a took a darkly comic turn. melt on record,” he said. Graphics fur- where you’re getting your sand” for pretended to be a contractor himself. nuclear-powered icebreaker. It was remarkably warm by North nished by NASA helped explain satel- building. “To keep your profits high,” “I went to these guys and said, ‘I need “This wasn’t so much a story to Pole standards, Mr. Sanders said, lite photos, and, “You could see the ice he said, “you might do your sourcing to get [my materials delivered] cheap answer questions about whether “mid-20s to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, disappearing” on the visuals. “It was from the gray market.” and on time. How do you do it?’” [the climate change] is man-made,” and we piled out of the helicopter scientific data people could under- When Mr. Pandey mentioned to The contractor subsequently Mr. Sanders said. “It was an opportu- onto the ice, and my foot went right stand, showing how ice reflects the friends in the neighboring state of “showed us the entire mining site,” Mr. nity to explore a crisis facing Mother through the ice down into sludge. sun, and how water absorbs the sun’s Haryana that he had found out illegal Pandey said, allowing Mr. Verma to Earth. So as much as it’s talked We had 500 to 1,000 yards to go in rays when the ice is gone.” mining was going on in Delhi, “They film the whole operation. about, we thought it was better to get this melting ice in order to reach the The icebreaker spent two days at said, ‘It’s happening here as well. We “At that particular site,” Mr. Pandey there and physically stand on the research ship. There was rain and the North Pole, Mr. Sanders said, told the government, but they’re not said, “people got arrested” after the North Pole. We wanted to take the sleet, and it was brutal on the equip- adding that he had no intention of taking any action. Some local people report aired on NDTV. Sonia Gandhi, viewers to the location that, frankly, ment. The Russian security team doing a political story on global complained, and they’ve been leader of India’s ruling coalition, nobody else has taken them.” was standing there with their guns, warming. He praised NBC’s commit- attacked by contractors.’” demanded to know why and how the The news crew traveled from ready to shoot a polar bear if it came ment to environmental reporting, Mr. Pandey and his cameraman, illegal mining had been happening Murmansk to the North Pole with out of the water, which was pouring but said he is “not doing advocacy Deepak Verma, decided to travel to the under the noses of government offi- Quark Expeditions. “We got on into my boots.” journalism. I want to give the facts as Kalesar National Forest in Haryana to cials, and the Supreme Court of India board the ship (the icebreaker The icebreaker had been unable to we know them. But so many times find the illegal mining operation. asked for all footage shot for the Yamal) and found out the sun never radio the research vessel, so no one conclusions are drawn before people The area, part of the outer expose and has taken steps to shut sets—and also that we weren’t knew they were coming. “They hadn’t have the facts.” ■ Himalayas, is composed primarily down the mining operations. ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 53 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 8:34 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 53

SEJ AWARDS: FINALIST “It’s an extension of the story in ‘Hot Politics,’” he said. “Coal is the elephant in the room for climate change and energy issues. Coal is the fossil fuel that emits the most carbon dioxide. It also provides LOOKING BACK “Hot 50% of our nation’s electricity. We Politics” puts the issue THE ‘HOT’ TOPIC cannot keep burning coal or global of global warming into tal journalism. Also, don’t take any warming will kill us. historical perspective. Filmmaker Peter Bull’s Hour for ‘Frontline’ information on the surface. The “All these ads that are playing trail of influences and interests that for clean coal are centered on get- has everything to do with electrici- Traces the Political History of Climate Change are trying to be defended is com- ting off foreign oil, and we have this ty. The coal industry is continuing By Allison J.Waldman not telling unless you are armed plex, especially in areas where the resource here at home—but it’s not to say that if we don’t burn more Special to TelevisionWeek with the best possible informa- science is complicated and the clean and it has nothing to do with coal and build more coal plants, the Among the SEJ Awards for tion,” he said. “I have always found industrial links are very subtle.” your car. Clean coal is pandering to lights are going to go out. They Reporting on the Environment as a journalist that I need to be Mr. Bull plans to premiere a the sense that America wants to be won’t be able to meet the electrical being given out at this week’s con- completely over-prepared. You new film during the SEJ Confer- energy independent. But if you dig demand without coal. Environ- ference is one in the category of have to become an expert in the ence: “Blackout,” a 90-minute the- under the surface, coal has nothing mentalists want to shut down coal outstanding beat/in-depth report- field; that’s a given in environmen- atrical documentary on coal. to do with energy independence. It immediately.” ■ ing in television. Filmmaker Peter Bull is one of three finalists in the category for his “Frontline” piece “Hot Politics,” about the political history of climate change. Mr. Bull came up with the idea Society of for “Hot Politics” during his years at ABC News and PBS’ “Now With Bill Moyers.” “I was a senior producer and worked with outside journal- ists who did pieces for the show, Environmental but my real love is making films, not managing a broadcast, and I JOURNALISTS was excited to go back and produce my own films and the first thing I did was go to the Center for Inves- Advancing the Quality, Accuracy and Visibility tigative Reporting in 2003,” said Mr. of Environmental News Reporting since 1990 Bull. “Global warming was the topic includes nearly 1,400 reporters, editors, producers, authors, of our times and it was still not rec- ognized in the media at that time. I SEJphotographers, students and educators working in print, broadcast approached ‘Frontline,’ which has a and online news media throughout the U.S. and 32 other countries. long-term relationship with the Center for Investigative Reporting, SEJ’s 2008 Annual Conference and they went for it. The focus of Oct. 15 - 19, hosted by Virginia Tech in Roanoke, Virginia the hour became the politics of global warming. It tries to explain SEJ’s Awards for Reporting on the Environment ISTS why our nation has taken so long to Winners announced Oct. 15. Next Deadline: April 1, 2009 recognize this as a real problem.” Mr. Bull’s program brings his- SEJ’s First Amendment Watchdog Project torical perspective to perhaps the most important environmental sto- to monitor, educate and act on freedom of information, open ry of the century thus far, global government and right-to-know issues warming. “Hot Politics” goes back in time to look at the presidential TipSheet administrations of George H.W. Biweekly environmental news leads from SEJ and the Radio Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. and Television News Directors Foundation Bush. “Why have we not seemed to have the political will to go along EJToday with the Kyoto Treaty and keep up with the rest of the world in terms A daily digest of environmental news reporting of responsibility when it comes to climate change?” Mr. Bull asked. SEJournal Much as the tobacco industry Quarterly publication written by journalists for journalists fought the scientist who reported the connection between smoking Mentoring Program and cancer, the fossil fuel industry Resources for Freelancers did the same with global warming. and more... “They were protecting their assets. They went all out to raise ques- First-year membership special: $20 tions, and the media was the huge culprit in this,” said Mr. Bull. “At ABC News I pitched stories about global warming in the mid-’80s and they wouldn’t buy it. When they did For conference registration, membership do a story on it, they would bend information, publications and more, please visit over backward to talk to the skep- tics. Those skeptics represented only 1% of the scientific communi- ty, but received 50% of the airtime.” As an environmental journalist, www.sej.org Mr. Bull appreciates the assistance provided by SEJ and advises others Society of Environmental Journalists to use the association’s resources. P.O. Box 2492 “The first thing is to get educat- Jenkintown, PA 19046 ed. You have to understand the sci- ence inside out, because you can’t (215) 884-8174 confront people who are defending their interests and know if they’re [email protected] TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 54 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 8:38 PM Page 1

54 October 13, 2008 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO

SEJ AWARDS: FINALIST DILIGENCE

GUILTY Dan Rather’s IN OREGON report revealed that FEMA knew about the Public TV’s Weekly away. They were all completely trailers’ formaldehyde wrong. One hundred years of sedi- levels before delivering ‘Field Guide’ Takes ment was gone by the next morning.” a single one. The segment on the Marmot Dam a Varied Approach has become the most watched video By Allison J.Waldman on the Oregon Public Broadcasting Special to TelevisionWeek Web site. “We’ve received requests for One of the three finalists for the copies of it from as far away as Japan, SEJ AWARDS: FINALIST SEJ Award in the category of out- and many of our viewers are scien- standing beat/in-depth reporting is tists,” said Mr. Patton. Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Ore- While Marmot Dam was the most gon Field Guide,” a weekly 30-minute dramatic of the four segments in the news magazine program devoted to episode, the other three stories were environmental topics. The episode also compelling. Opal Creek was a that earned recognition by SEJ cov- follow-up to a report about the ered four different stories: the progress of the wilderness preserve RATHER: CASE OF destruction of the Marmot Dam; an created at the site, showing how it has update on the wilderness status of become a protected watershed, For- Opal Creek; the scientific pursuit of est Education Center and tourist microscopic ice worms; and the attraction. For the piece on ice migration of toads. worms, the reporters climbed 3,000 “It’s an incredible honor,” “Ore- feet up the side of Mount Rainier. THE TOXIC TRAILERS gon Field Guide” produc- “We ventured out on a er/reporter Vince Pat- glacier and waited. As particular way of doing investigative ton said of the SEJ the sun went down Temporary Housing journalism. Use what is important for recognition. “I’ve and the tempera- for Katrina’s Homeless the public to know, and if someone in been very active ture cooled, not a position of power doesn’t want the in SEJ. It’s a won- just thousands, Made Occupants Ill public to know, that’s news.” derful place to not just millions, By Allison J.Waldman While Mr. Rather is the name learn about but billions of Special to TelevisionWeek reporter on the “Toxic Trailers” story, environmental unbelievably The SEJ Awards for Reporting on the veteran newsman shares the topics for tiny black worms the Environment are the world’s credit with his team. “A young reporters who came to the sur- largest and most comprehensive woman named Chandra Simon was don’t necessarily face of the glacier,” awards for journalism on environ- our original lead investigator. The arc cover the subject full said Mr. Patton. mental topics, and one of the final- of this story is that the people in the time and they need a “They’re only found ists this year in the category of out- trailers were at first glad to get into In ”Guide’s” quick resource to get RESCUED in the Northwest and standing beat/in-depth reporting in the trailers because they had no place piece on toad migration, up to speed. Climate they eat bacteria and television is a familiar name in to live after Katrina,” said Mr. Rather. kids toted buckets of the change is paramount algae, and they’re broadcast journalism: Dan Rather. “By the way, these trailers were made creatures to safety. today, and it’s a great about as wide as two Mr. Rather, in collaboration with to help hurricane victims; they example. SEJ has so strands of hair. Wayne Nelson, Chandra Simon, Resa weren’t made for sale to the public. many climate change resources. That’s They’re very, very small, and with a Matthews, Elyse Kaftan has been After getting in them, people started become the story of the century.” zoom lens you could really see them.” nominated for HDNet’s “Dan Rather to notice that their children had an “Oregon Field Guide” is unique The fourth piece was about toad Reports: Toxic Trailers,” an investiga- unusual number of illnesses and oth- among the finalists in the category in migration. “It was a science story not tive hour about what happened in er members of the family got sick.” that its nominated episode deals with cast as a science story. Sometimes the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Rather has a history of sci- four distinct environmental issues. when people hear ‘science story,’ When thousands of homeless ence and environmental journalism. “The beauty of our program is that their eyes glaze over. In the course of families were given FEMA trailers as In 1979, on CBS’s “,” for we’re not a daily broadcast,” said Mr. this story, they may have learned temporary shelter, they became ill. instance, he went after a company Patton. Because of that, “Oregon about and the threats to the “Dan Rather Reports” discovered that was poisoning its workers. “It Field Guide” can spend more time Western toad, but it was billed as many of these trailers were emitting was a story that powerful people in focused on stories like the Marmot children come to the rescue. We had toxic levels of formaldehyde, and powerful places didn’t want out,” Mr. Dam—the first dam in North Ameri- the largest migration of toads in 14 broke the news that FEMA was actu- ingly of his boss. “He backs us in Rather said. “The plant changed and ca to be removed without first dig- years,” said Mr. Patton. ally well aware of the problem what we do, especially the tough the workers were compensated. And ging out all the sediment behind it. The “Oregon Field Guide” team before delivering a single trailer. stuff. So I was very pleased about it. this formaldehyde story is right up “The daily news stations, some of was in the right place at the right Thanks to Mr. Rather’s initial story We always like it when somebody there for me. It’s just like that.” them covered the removal of the time. “On the peak day of the migra- and the follow-up, FEMA had to recognizes our work but we don’t To Mr. Rather, environmental dam, some of them covered what fol- tion, a couple dozen children address the problems. start out saying that we want to win stories are an important brand of lowed,” Mr. Patton said. “None of turned up and picked up thousands “Naturally I’m very glad, espe- awards. We want to do good work.” . “To me, it’s them did an entire piece like us. We of toads, put them in buckets and cially for the people I work with. The former CBS anchorman, a public service. I grew up in jour- did nearly 10 minutes, documenting carried them safely across the roads. They’re some of the best journalists who is currently in litigation with his nalism with people who taught me the entire process.” The timing was so fortuitous in the world,” Mr. Rather said about former employer, hosts “Dan Rather that a public journal—and by jour- The removal of the Marmot Dam because the migration really only the SEJ nomination. “I was also very Reports” on HDNet and acts as lead nal they meant a newspaper, maga- yielded surprising results. “They lasted one day and we got over there pleased for Mark Cuban, who’s given investigator. To him, environmental zine, radio station or television sta- decided to remove the dam and then just in time to catch it.” us complete, total, absolute creative journalism is all about investigating. tion—is a public trust,” he said. “To leave it to the river itself to wash away “Oregon Field Guide” finds envi- and editorial control.” Mr. Cuban is “I see my job as a journalist as fulfill the responsibility of that pub- a century of all the sediment and dirt ronmental stories by getting out of the owner of HDNet, and “Dan being an honest broker of informa- lic trust, you must see yourself as that had piled up behind it. The sci- the studio. “There’s no shortage of Rather Reports” is the net’s signature tion. My first responsibility is to be as performing a public service. The entists were curious to see what stories,” Mr. Patton said. “We’re news program. accurate and as fair as possible,” he reward you get is the sense that would happen,” said Mr. Patton. always getting ideas from people Mr. Rather, a veteran of CBS said. “We acquire the information and you’ve contributed. When it works, “They predicted it could take weeks, who write in. Our show covers the News, is more than comfortable in put it out to the public. Now, there are when your report is successful, then months, maybe a year to wash it all whole state.” ■ his current home and speaks glow- a lot of interpretations, but … there’s a that’s the reward.” ■ TW MAIN 10-13-08 A 55 TVWEEK 10/9/2008 9:17 PM Page 1

TELEVISIONWEEK October 13, 2008 55

STUDY UP Author Kim Carlson advises learning DOING THE both sides of the issue. AN ENERGY LEGWORK you sort of have to race around RESOURCE For Journalists, more to cover all your assign- Energy Policy TV Great Preparation Is ments,” said Tim Wheeler, environ- mental reporter for The Baltimore Lets Users Tap Into Key to Great Results Sun and president of the SEJ Board opposing and similar viewpoints By Allison J.Waldman of Directors. prior to using them,” said Kim Carl- Industry Database Special to TelevisionWeek “It’s important for us to be son, eco-preneur, green living By Hillary Atkin There’s an old saying that suc- wary of getting sold a bill of goods. expert and author of the upcoming Special to TelevisionWeek cess is what happens when prepa- With marketing and everyone book “Green Your Work: Boost Your Environmental journalists ration meets opportunity. For wanting to be portrayed as green, Bottom Line While Reducing Your working in all forms of media can broadcasters and reporters working the question is who’s really green Eco-Footprint.” “There is a tremen- find a wealth of knowledge online, CEO saying these things. There are on stories about the environment, and who’s pale green or true dous amount of environmental and now they can tap into a reposi- many educational events, and the success has often been hard to green,” said Mr. Wheeler. “You content on the Web, and reporters tory of information geared toward site is very broad and deep in terms achieve because of the complica- have to find the time to dig a little can quickly get up to speed on the stakeholders in the energy industry of content, keeping people abreast tions involved in really being pre- deeper and find that extra source issues or an interviewee. There is while gaining access to industry of the latest elements in energy and pared. Tackling difficult stories who might provide a different plenty of information from busi- events and speeches all over the environmental policy.” involving science, technology and point of view.” ness, environmental non-profits country without leaving the office. Energy Policy TV went live about often hard to comprehend material, When whitewashing occurs in and government perspectives on The service is called Energy Pol- 18 months ago. It was founded by environmental reporters have to go an environmental context, it’s any green issue.” icy TV (www.energypolicyTV.com), CEO Grant Stockdale, who for many the extra yard. called “greenwashing.” It’s basically To make sure the information and it encompasses video channels years was the associate publisher of “I always go to the experts in the a coordinated attempt to hide from the experts is legitimate, Mr. on subjects including oil, gas, elec- The Energy Daily. area I’m investigating, people who unpleasant truths, and it is a focus Wheeler recommended seeking out tricity, nuclear power, solar energy, “He saw all these different meet- don’t have a vested interest in the of the Web site greenwashingin- verification of the source from a energy infrastructure, wind power, ings that go on that not everyone outcome,” said Joel Grover, inves- dex.com, presented by Envirome- watchdog group. “SourceWatch is a coal, sustainability, biofuels, trans- can get to. He thought that Web tigative reporter at KNBC-TV in Los dia—an advertising and public rela- collaborative project of the Center portation, climate change and con- video was the way to access all of it Angeles. “For the story I worked on tions agency that’s built on the idea for Media and Democracy, and servation—along with channels for via the desktop,” said Mr. Nance. about the contaminated produce that doing the right thing isn’t just they’ve kept tabs on these things for state government and Congress on About 30% of the audience of at the Seventh Street market, I the right thing, but a powerful busi- some time. There’s also an environ- energy-related issues. EP TV is made up of lawmakers, sought out a food safety expert. I ness advantage. mental marketing firm called Terra- “Our overriding goal and our officials from the U.S. Department called him up and asked him to tell “A classic example of green- Choice in Texas. And SEJ has a tip mission is education,” said Scott of Energy, the Environmental Pro- me how it works—who has juris- washing might be an energy com- sheet,” he said. Nance, manager of content acqui- tection Agency and other govern- diction over this, how does this pany that runs an advertising In addition, Mr. Wheeler recog- sition for the Washington-based ment entities. About 40% is made whole thing work? He gave me the campaign touting a ‘green’ tech- nizes the important contribution Web site. “We cover all the sectors up of people in the energy industry, whole intricate system, from the nology they’re working on—but provided by the public. “There is no and we don’t take a position on and t he balance of the audience is farm to the fork.” that ‘green’ technology represents shortage of folks who will jump on anything. What we are about is from academia, nongovernmental It’s incumbent on news profes- only a sliver of the company’s oth- your reporting if they think you’re having stakeholders talk to other organizations and the media. The sionals to be able to distinguish the erwise not-so-green business, or unfair or sloppy or wrong or left stakeholders through Web video. site is funded by sponsorship, and experts from the spinmeisters, may be marketed on the heels of things out. That’s from all sides of The people in our videos are in advertisers have included British even if that means going to multi- an oil spill or plant explosion,” the the issues,” he said. government, NGOs and academia, Petroleum and Volvo. ple sources and digging deeper. Web site says. William Brent, a cleantech all speaking to each other.” “The feedback has been very Still, there are times when the There are companies that spend blogger (www.mrcleantech.com) The on-demand video con- positive, and people appreciate information that companies and more time and money saying and also the head of the cleantech tent—currently more than 1,200 being able to find out what’s going organizations give out is designed they’re green than actually going practice of the PR firm Weber videos—includes speakers, hear- on, and having this information on to create the appearance of being green. “It’s whitewashing, but with a Shandwick, urges the media to ings and conferences, and stays their desktops,” said Mr. Nance. green, rather than being an indica- green brush,” the site says. seek out unimpeachable sources. on the Web site for a year. “We encourage people to tape tion that real changes are being “To avoid meaningless, one- “There are true experts out there “Whether it’s a congressional their events and then post those, made. sided interviews or false informa- who can call bullshit. Find them hearing or a press conference, they but unlike YouTube, where anyone “Sadly, that’s true. That’s a func- tion, reporters need to find and and talk to them. What’s discour- can find out what people are actu- can post anything, we have an edi- tion of some of the economic issues research opposing views on any aging, however, is that the experts ally saying,” Mr. Nance said. “It’s torial process. There can’t be in the media industry, where there environmental issue and vet the are often other media or execu- not an interpretation. The audi- straight advertising. There has to are fewer people to do the work so expert with questions from both tives at companies.” ■ ence can watch a congressman or a be a substantive discussion.” ■

dred people. In a small area it as large as NBC, BBC and Fox, might be only five.” and for places as small as “any- When viewers flip through where that has a TV station.” channels to get a clearer picture “We’ve been having more and NAVIGATING NEWS FEEDS of a presidential address, a wild- more demand to cover more sto- them quite extensive. For general fire or a train wreck, the same ries on global warming,” Mr. Services Becoming More Environmental print journalism and wire servic- feed is generally being provided Bouran said, “and requests to By Jarre Fees News Service, Iraqi es, subscribers usually get an by one news service, he said. cover inventions to deal with Special to TelevisionWeek and even the Student News Daily. edited story they can print or a Broadcast news services are environmental problems and to Some networks—BBC comes Strategic News Service covers the link they can add to their Web “wholesalers of video,” he said. find out what other people are to mind—have such a strong computing and communications sites. “No journalists are on camera. doing [about those problems].” news presence that their trucks industries. ABC News, CBS News, For television, news services It’s raw footage with natural The Associated Press also has seem to show up automatically Fox News, CNN and MSNBC all such as Reuters and AP provide sound. The customer gets a a huge library both for Internet in even the most remote areas of have prominent online coverage; raw footage that is edited at local video, gets who shot it and what and broadcast use, offering the world whenever there’s a CNN Newsource provides cover- stations for the evening news. restrictions apply, as well as live 500,000 clip reels in its online newsworthy occurrence. age for other media as well. Nart Bouran, the London- footage.” database. The library includes a For everyone else, there’s So far, nobody covers envi- based Reuters director of televi- Like most of the larger news large number of clip reels on the Thomson Reuters or Associated ronmental news exclusively, sion, said the agency has “over 80 services, Reuters also provides environment: There are 418 clips Press. Or Bloomberg, or Scripps although most of the major serv- news bureaus, which means a print and wire services for news- of polar bears, for instance, of Howard. There’s also Cybercast ices provide links, clips or text of strong journalistic presence. In papers, along with text, graphics which 328 relate specifically to News Service (CNS), Catholic environmental issues, some of Beijing, we have a couple of hun- and photo services for networks the environment. ■