Cover the Planet

By David Poulson

That whole writer/reader/source interaction thing in Internet journalism gets a lot of hype. Some of it’s overblown.

But a writer who can orchestrate that kind of relationship on a complex beat like the environment clearly has a leg up on the competition.

Bay City (Mich.) Times environment reporter Jeff Kart looks like he’s got it figured out. Check out his recently launched Mudpuppy blog. In particular, check out how he has set the tone early with a post about reporting on Combined Sewer Overflows.

Like most environment journalists, Jeff’s written a lot about CSOs in terms of the bacterial load they bring to surface water. In this post, he notes how a state environmental official criticizes his reporting, saying that there is no bacteria in CSOs.

That’s a startling statement. And Jeff invites his readers to accompany him as he investigates the claim. He explains the official’s reasoning and even posts the power point presentation he was shown to explain the point.

The gist is that a local sewage treatment plant had less than one CSO a month over three years. And few of those reached the level of bacterial load that prompts beach closings or contamination advisories.

The official, according to Jeff, amended his assertion to indicate that while these CSOs do contain bacteria, the vast majority don’t contain high levels.

Rather than dismissing the criticism, Jeff investigates it publicly in a way that provides additional context - even prompting the official to amend his assertion for accuracy.

Jeff not only publicizes criticism of his own writing, he researches it and analyzes it in a way that’s transparent to his readers. Then he does a very cool thing. He asks for their input:

What do you think? Are CSOs something to worry about?

Or, based on this new analysis, should we be focusing our attention on other sources of contamination to the river, which don’t get reported when they occur, like illegal connections to drains and storm sewers, failed septic systems, agriculture and wildlife?

This is an excellent exercise in transparency. Readers can see how journalistic decisions are made. They see a journalist who is truly interested in getting the story right. And they are invited to participate in figuring out the best way of providing context and reporting pollution.

Regardless of how you feel about how CSOs are described and reported, the effort here has to build credibility. That’s true even if no one takes Jeff up on his invitation.

It’s a great demonstration of opening the reporting process up for inspection, and inviting a true wisdom of the crowds to participate in journalism.

And for a complex and controversial beat like the environment, that’s a pretty cool thing.

By David Poulson

If you missed the Writing Green Environmental Journalism Conference in Knoxville Friday you still have plenty of opportunity to participate.

The conference sponsored by the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists is blanketed by social media. University of Tennessee students are all over a Ning site with conference-related forums, blogs and photos.

Ning not your thing? Then mosey on over to Facebook where the students will give you even more of the same. In both venues you can continue to bat around environmental issues and how to cover them.

And to coordinate all that coverage check out the conference Twitter hashtag of #WritingGreen.

And contribute to all three. You don’t have to be there to play. And your participation will extend the value of a worthy endeavor.