PRESS RELEASE
RE: SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS
CONFERENCE ~  ROANOKE VIRGINIA ~  OCTOBER 15 - 19, 2008

Environment is the story of the century, and the issues are popping up on every beat in  the newsroom – from business to city hall, from the national desk to the neighborhoods,  from the courthouse to the field house.

That’s why all journalists are invited to attend an important training and professional development event this October.

The Society of Environmental Journalists is holding its 2008 Annual Conference Oct. 15-19 at the Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Virginia.   The event, held at leading universities around the nation, is hosted this year by Virginia Tech.

The conference includes field trips, large-group plenary sessions and smaller tutorials on environmental science, regulatory issues, the law and economic implications of policies.

Conference sessions will focus on a spectrum of environmental issues with national implications, such as coal mining, climate change, air and water quality, and renewable energy.  Sessions often include leading national experts on the issues and leading journalists who have covered them.

Pre-conference events in Roanoke VA include a three day “boot camp” training experience to help reporters get a leg up on covering the world's most important beat.  The boot camp is organized by the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism of Michigan State and the Center for Rural Journalism at the University of Kentucky.

A training session focusing specifically on covering climate change will take place Wednesday Oct. 15.  Eight computer lab sessions involving media technologies and environmental reporting are also offered Friday Oct. 17 and Saturday Oct. 18. Sessions that focus on freelance writing and transitions towards new business models for journalism will also be offered.

Highlights of the five day event also include the following:

• Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin will welcome guests to the Grand Opening Reception at the Hotel Roanoke. They will be joined by Grammy award winning country music star Kathy Mattea,
• Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau, ocean explorers and grandchildren of Jacques Cousteau, will co-host the SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment.
• XM Satellite Radio's Bob Edwards will moderate Friday's Opening Plenary on coal and its role in our nation's future energy diet. Debating the issue will be American Electric Power CEO Michael Morris, and "Big Coal" author Jeff Goodell.
•  Noted environmental sociologist Robert Bullard will lead a diverse panel of  experts in Saturday's Breakfast Plenary Session on Environmental Justice and the Poor.
• One of Appalachia’s best known authors, Wendell Berry, will be featured along with other authors during Sunday's Bestsellers Breakfast.
• New addition [ff]: The chair of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will address the audience.
  

The Society of Environmental Journalists is a national organization managed by and for journalists who cover the environment. SEJ is a member of the Council of National Journalism Organizations.  SEJ's mission is to advance public understanding of environmental issues by improving the quality, accuracy, and visibility of environmental reporting. EJ membership is open to working journalists, students and educators. Dues are nominal.

Contact conference co-chairs:

Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette
(304) 348-1702

Prof. Bill Kovarik, School of Communication, Radford University
(540) 831-6033