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CU Boulder Center for Environmental Journalism welcomes 25th class of fellows

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 20:11:49 +0000

CU Boulder Center for Environmental Journalism welcomes 25th class of fellows Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/13/2021 - 14:11

The Center for Environmental Journalism is proud to welcome its 25th class of Ted Scripps Fellows, who will spend nine months at the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Media, Communication and Information working on long-term, in-depth journalistic projects and reflecting on critical questions. Read full announcement »

Meet the Fellows!

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Welcome to the Newest Class of Scripps Fellows!

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 19:24:14 +0000

Welcome to the Newest Class of Scripps Fellows! Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/15/2020 - 13:24

The Center for Environmental Journalism is proud to welcome its 24th class of Ted Scripps Fellows in Environmental Journalism! This year's fellows are Stacy Feldman, Grace Hood, Alec Luhn, Amanda Mascarelli, and RJ Sangosti.

The group brings a depth of experience across a range of media, with backgrounds covering local issues as a public radio reporter and a photojournalist, overseeing a non-profit news organization and a science magazine, and reporting abroad as a Moscow correspondent.

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CEJ Welcomes New Journalists in Residence

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:53:51 +0000

CEJ Welcomes New Journalists in Residence Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/15/2020 - 00:53

In September 2017, the Center for Environmental Journalism welcomed an inaugural group of Scholars-in-Residence. This program, which we have renamed Journalists in Residence, hosts local working journalists who serve for two years at the CEJ—serving as resources for the Ted Scripps Fellows, students and CEJ leadership; contributing to new programs and community outreach for the center; and building on our existing foundation here on campus. In exchange for their service, they receive access to institutional resources at the university.

Moe Clark, Susan Moran, Hannah Nordhaus, Jason Plautz and Ted Wood have been selected as the 2020-2022 CEJ Journalists in Residence because of their commitment to the CEJ, and the center’s mission and their rich and varied career experiences.

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Center for Environmental Journalism welcomes 2019-20 class of Ted Scripps Fellows

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 19:51:15 +0000

Center for Environmental Journalism welcomes 2019-20 class of Ted Scripps Fellows Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/21/2019 - 13:51

A new class of fellows will dig into issues ranging from water scarcity to the environmental impact of meat production through the University of Colorado Boulder’s Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism program.

The five fellows selected for the 2019-20 class include nationally-known authors, as well as magazine and radio journalists. Their work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Public Radio and more.

The 2019-20 fellows:

Sarah Craighas reported about climate migration, water scarcity and water quality issues in California’s Central Valley as a radio journalist and documentary photographer. Her work has been featured on NPR’s Marketplace, Grist and the Bay Area’s KQED.
Joe Fasslerwas the deputy editor of The New Food Economy, an independent nonprofit newsroom covering the economics, politics and culture of food. He has also been a longtime contributor to The Atlantic’s “By Heart” series.
Antonia Juhasz is the author of three books: Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill, The Tyranny of Oil and The Bush Agenda. Her reporting on the fossil fuel industry has appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, L.A. Times, Harper’s Magazine, Newsweek, and The Atlantic, among other outlets.
Jori Lewishas reported on science, the environment, agriculture and sustainable development as an independent journalist based in Senegal. Her work has been published in Discover Magazine, Pacific Standard and Hakai magazine, among others.
Sharon Udasin was a reporter for The Jerusalem Post in Israel, where her pieces on water politics, the natural gas sector and renewable energy earned her a Pratt Prize for Excellence in Israeli environmental journalism.

Read more

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New Scholars in Residence program highlights local environmental journalists

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:59:47 +0000

New Scholars in Residence program highlights local environmental journalists Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/28/2018 - 17:59 Kelsey Simpkins

In September the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism welcomed an inaugural group of Scholars in Residence. This new program hosts working journalists, who serve as ambassadors for two years at the Center for Environmental Journalism, act as guides for the Ted Scripps Fellows, current students, and CEJ leadership, and are granted access to institutional resources at the University.

David Baron, Daniel Glick, and Laura Krantz have been selected as the 2017-2019 CEJ Scholars in Residence because of their commitment to the CEJ, their rich and varied career experiences, and their shared goals with the CEJ.

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Nonfiction 101: "Author, Author!" book panel provides publishing insight

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:57:02 +0000

Nonfiction 101: "Author, Author!" book panel provides publishing insight Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/08/2018 - 10:57

Kelsey Simpkins , Shannon Mullane

Five former Ted Scripps Fellows—David Baron, Scott Carney, Erin Espelie, Michael Kodas and Hannah Nordhaus—sat down together at the University of Colorado Boulder campus on Feb. 1, 2018 to discuss the whys and hows of nonfiction book writing at the first ever Center for Environmental Journalism book publishing panel.

While each of these writers’ circumstances are unique in why and how they have pursued becoming nonfiction authors, they all returned to a similar thought throughout the discussion: to become published, make yourself—the writer—a high priority.

"The first thing you need is faith that you can do it,” said Carney, bestselling author of What Doesn’t Kill Us, The Enlightenment Trap and The Red Market.

The biggest hurdle to writing a book is often writing the proposal for the book, as the panel discussed in detail. First, how does one find the time to write a proposal with all their other priorities and responsibilities?

“You have to treat it as a job. An hour a day before you do all of your stuff," advised Nordhaus, author of The Beekeeper's Lament and American Ghost. She admits it’s been a labor of love, one for her that would not be possible without her husband’s support. There’s a “combination of confidence, futility and obscurity,” in the process, but for Nordhaus it’s worth it.

Second, what is the goal of writing the proposal?

“A book proposal is the book you write about the book you want to write," said Kodas, bestselling author of High Crimes and Megafire, and Acting Director of the CEJ. "It's supposed to convince your agent and your editor that you have the chops to do this."

“The proposal can be a good way to get ideas down on a page and start thinking about structure,” said Espelie, co-director of the new NEST (Nature, Environment, Science and Technology) Studio for the Arts and Associate Director for the CEJ. “It’s doing some of the work for you.”

The panel overwhelmingly agreed it is also critical to emphasize how the author’s marketing strategy for the book will be profitable for the publisher.

“Try to pinpoint as narrowly as possible how the book can sell,” said Espelie.

Next, there’s finding an agent and an editor for your book.

When choosing an agent, the “most important single denominator is enthusiasm,” Carney said. “Some people really invest in your work and edit it with you and those [folks] are the diamonds in the rough.”

“You don’t want the agent who represents the famous author. You want the agent who represented the nobody who ended up a bestseller,” he said.

Or as Nordhaus said: “A young, hungry agent is better than a full one.”

Carney often experiments with different ways to connect the creative and business aspects of publishing to make the process more financially successful. First, he said, retain as many rights as you can.

Carney retained the audio rights to his most recent book, What Doesn’t Kill Us, and recorded an audiobook himself—in his own closet. So while he would never see royalties on the paper copy, Carney knew every time he went out on the road to promote his book, he could sell copies of his audiobook and keep the full profits.

“I have actually ended up making more on the audio book then I did on my advance,” he said.

Carney also made a book trailer for his latest release, a video on YouTube that could be easily shared on social media channels and his website. Kodas agreed this kind of self-made promotional material seems to make a difference. The panel acknowledged that the publisher is unlikely to do much marketing for your book, and if you want good press, you will have to work on marketing it yourself.

When it comes to money, they all agreed to aim for as large an advance as possible. Between paying expenses for the reporting and the fact that usually 15 percent goes the agent, what looks like a lot at the beginning may leave you in the red at the end—if you’re not careful.

“I always shoot for six figures,” said Kodas. “You need to do the math in advance.”

David Baron, author of The Beast in the Garden, former Ted Scripps Fellow, and current CEJ Scholar in Residence, planned 19 years in advance for his most recent book, American Eclipse. He had the idea back in the late 1990s but knew there would be a total solar eclipse in August of 2017. While it didn't take that long to write, Baron’s book is a great example of not giving up on a good idea and waiting for the right time to pitch a proposal and publish.

It became clear that nonfiction book writing is a complicated, committed process of work for these authors. Yet all but one of them have at least two books to their name, and will likely write more. What motivates them to continue this career?

“Three things,” Nordhaus said: “sales, reviews and satisfaction with the process.”

For Carney, it is simply the best lifestyle. “I get to keep doing this,” he said, “and that is the reward.”

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Author! Author! The Whys and Hows of Nonfiction Book Writing

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 22:33:44 +0000

Author! Author! The Whys and Hows of Nonfiction Book Writing Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/24/2018 - 15:33

Do you dream of getting published? Hear the inside story from five writers whose books span the realms of science, history, adventure, the natural environment and human endurance. Learn how to hone your topic, find a literary agent, craft a book proposal, secure a publisher and see your project to a successful conclusion.

Panelists:

Hannah Nordhaus – Bestselling author of The Beekeeper’s Lament and American Ghost.

Michael Kodas – Associate director of CU’s Center for Environmental Journalism, author of Megafire and High Crimes.

Erin Espelie – Associate director of CU’s Center for Environmental Journalism.

Scott Carney – Bestselling author of What Doesn’t Kill Us, The Enlightenment Trap, and The Red Market.

David Baron – CU scholar in residence, author of American Eclipse and The Beast in the Garden.

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Center for Environmental Journalism turns 25

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 16:28:24 +0000

*Center for Environmental Journalism turns 25* Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/25/2017 - 10:28

The University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, as well as the 20th anniversary of the Ted Scripps Environmental Journalism Fellowship. The center, established in 1992, has hosted the Ted Scripps Fellowships since the 1997-98 academic year.

For more than two decades, the program—housed within the College of Media, Communication and Information—has brought journalists, scientists, faculty and students together to discuss and report on issues crucial to our environment.

Events, which are free and open to the public, will celebrate the anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 26, beginning with two panels featuring journalists and environmental experts. “Science and policy in uncertain times,” will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the panel, “After years of upheaval, is journalism finding its voice?" at 1 p.m. Both panels will take place in the ATLAS center on CU Boulder’s central campus.

The inaugural Ackland Lecture in Journalism—named in honor of CEJ founding Director Len Ackland—will begin at 7 p.m. featuring Juliet Eilperin, the Washington Post’s senior national affairs correspondent. Eilperin will deliver her lecture in the auditorium at the new Sustainability, Energy and Environment Complex.

The center also will celebrate the 100 journalists who have been awarded the Ted Scripps Environmental Journalism Fellowship, a rare opportunity for mid-career journalists to spend nine months studying and working on special projects with support from the center. The fellowship is funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation.

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