Environmental| Environment

The Times-Picayune & The Advocate have been granted a three-year grant to allow them to continue and expand their reporting on the coast and environment.

The grant, worth a little over $1 million, will cover the costs of a New Orleans-based four-member reporting team and other expenses. The Society of Environmental Journalists manages the money.

These organizations have supported newspapers reporting on the coast and environment for the past five years. The first grant was for two reporters. The second grant was for three. The largest grant to date, which started Jan. 1, was the latest.

The team covers many topics, including depleted fisheries, industrial pollution, and the eroding coastline and what can we do to mitigate it. The team has received numerous national awards, including the 2020 Nina Mason Pulliam Award in outstanding environmental reporting.

Peter Kovacs (editor of the newspapers) said that the Walton Foundation’s and SEJ’s confidence in us has been a great help in sustaining and expanding coverage of these important issues. Louisiana is the only state that requires comprehensive environmental reporting.

Moira Macdonald, director at the Walton Family Foundations Environment Program, stated that quality journalism is essential in keeping the public informed and connected to coastal restoration projects. The Coastal Desk reporting gives Louisianans critical information about one of the most important environmental restoration efforts anywhere in the world.

“The Society of Environmental Journalists was honored to provide support for the four reporting positions on The Times-Picayune| The Advocate, which has produced award-winning investigative and explanatory coverage of complex environmental issues in coastal communities on the frontlines of climate change,” said Meaghan Parker, SEJ’s executive director. “We are grateful for Walton Family Foundation’s commitment to improving environmental journalism through supporting those who produce it.”