Kentucky Environmental Journalism Conference
About 80-100 students, faculty and staff from Eastern Kentucky University, as well as guests from Northern Kentucky University, the University of the Cumberlands and several newspapers in the region attended the Kentucky Environmental Journalism Conference on Nov. 13, 2009. The conference was hosted by Eastern Kentucky University’s Department of Communication, the Center for Appalachian Studies, Eastern’s student chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists and Eastern’s Student Government Association, and was organized by Ivy Brashear, a journalism student, and Deborah Givens, instructor of journalism in the Department of Communication.
Attendees listened to panelists discuss environmental research at Eastern, water issues in Kentucky, covering coal in the media, farming as an environmental issue and reporting on environmental issues. Experts in each of those categories were present to give presentations about the topics and take questions from audience members about those issues. During lunch at the event, Tom Eblen, Lexington Herald-Leader columnist, was the keynote speaker.
Panelists included: Dr. Alice Jones, director of the Environmental Research Institute at Eastern; Dr. Tammy Horn, director of Coal Country Beeworks; Mark Grayson, former owner and editor of the Martin County Sun; Pat Banks, director of the Kentucky RIVERKEEPER®; Malissa McAlister, Kentucky River Basin Coordinator at the University of Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute; Alan Banks, president of the board for the Kentucky RIVERKEEPER®; J. Steven Gardner, president/CEO, Engineering Consulting Services, Inc.; Doug Doerrfeld, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth; Dr. Melissa Fry Konty, Mountain Association for Community and Economic Development (MACED); Aloma Dew, Sierra Club Midwest Organizer; Adam Barr, Community Farm Alliance; Mac Stone, Kentucky Department of Agriculture; Bill Estep, Lexington Herald-Leader; Ronica Shannon, Richmond Register; Kristin Espeland Gourlay, environmental reporter, WFPL, Louisville’s NPR station.
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