Spring 2021

In Spring 2021, the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute, housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History, hosted the inaugural UF Environmental Justice Media Intensive, a crash course for UF students looking to gain experience reporting on the intersection of environmental challenges and social justice issues. 

The course was centered around the UF Law School’s 27th Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference (Feb. 12-13, 2021) with the theme “Equitable Transitions.”  

 Topics covered at the conference included:  

• Environmental Justice & Energy Distribution 

• Environmental Justice & Natural Disasters 
• Environmental Justice & Food Equity 
• Environmental Justice & Water Resources 
• Environmental Justice & Land Use  

Participating Students

• Shannon Barry, master’s student, nematology
• Trista Brophy-Duron, Ph.D. student, interdisciplinary ecology
• Jennifer Hayes, master’s student, mass communication
• Jordyn Kalman, undergraduate, journalism major
• Natalie Lara, undergraduate, environmental science major
• Sam Zlotnik, Ph.D. student, interdisciplinary ecology

Participating students attended the conference and worked in pairs to write a story and produce a complementary multimedia package on a particular topic. Before the conference, students attended a 2.5-hour pre-conference workshop to meet their editors, learn reporting tips & tricks and set a plan for pre-reporting and research.

Course Instructors

Throughout the course, students were mentored by a superb team of journalists and editors:  

All final content, once published will be hosted on the TESI website but will be published under a creative commons license and free to use elsewhere.

Participating students complete the course with a published story and multimedia package (this could include infographics, social media assets, video or photos), a one-year student membership to the Society of Environmental Journalists and a certificate showing their participation. 

Course Timeline:

• February 5 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.: Students attend the pre-conference workshop and meet with editors.  (2.5 hours) 
• February 12-13: Students attend the PIEC conference and use Slack to communicate with editors during the conference. 
• Week of February 15: Students attend a story budget meeting to discuss and solidify story ideas and steps forward.  (1 hour) 
• February 26: Student pairs submit first drafts to editors & the administrative team.  
• March 5: Editors and administrative team send edits and comments back to students.  
• March 11: Student pairs submit final drafts to editors.  
• March 17: Editors send final draft & multimedia package to the administrative team. 

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