SPJ's "Writing Green" Conference Taking Place March 27

The SPJ's "Writing Green" conference will be taking place March 27 at Calhoun's on the River.

Although it is too late to register for lunch with speaker Jim Detjen, director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University, students may attend other individual sessions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. without charge.

"Writing Green" Conference Sessions

Session I, Introduction to Environmental Issues in Southern Appalachia, will provide journalists with an overview of water, air, energy and transportation issues. Panel members include Dr. Randall Gentry, director of the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment (ISSE); Jonathan Overly, executive director, East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition; and Dr. Steven Smith, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE). Dr. John Nolt, UT professor of environmental ethics, will moderate the panel.

Session II, Environmental Law and Policy, will help journalists answer tough questions about evaluating independent research and navigate through the alphabet soup of environmental law. Panel members include Professor Dean Rivkin, UT College of Law; Dr. Christian Vossler, UT professor and ISSE program leader for energy and environmental policy research; and Don Barger, senior regional director, National Parks Conservation Association. Amy Gibson, director of development and policy research at the Baker Center, will moderate the panel. Session III, The Energy Beat - Coal in Appalachia, will focus media coverage of the recent coal ash spill in Roane Co., Tenn., and issues surrounding the use of coal in Appalachia. Panel members include Liz Veazy, SACE regional campus coordinator; Dr. T.J. Blasing, researcher for the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Dr. Bill Kovarik, professor of journalism at Radford University and editor of Appalachian Voices. Session IV, Application of Environmental Journalism, will provide journalists with how to craft the environmental story for print, Web or broadcast. Panel members include Rikki Hall, editor, Hellbender Press; Scott Barker, environmental reporter, Knoxville News Sentinel; and Anne Keil, reporter, WATE. Amanda Womac, instructor of media writing at Lincoln Memorial University, will moderate the panel.