My name is Molly Peterson, and I’m seeking to join the board of the Society of Environmental Journalists because SEJ has served me and strengthened my journalism for so, so long, and I’ve got the capacity and enthusiasm to make a meaningful contribution to the board.
By way of introduction: I went to law school, and could have practiced law — I’m a member of the bar, inactive, in California. Instead I’ve been lucky to cover environment and climate issues — water, air and fire, mostly, in Washington, California and Louisiana, mostly — working alongside and near some really inspiring colleagues in public radio and on the beats.
A lot has changed since I first paid SEJ dues, a horrifying 20 years ago, though I’m still exactly the kind of corny person who tried to make as much of her day job as possible into public service. (Don’t worry, I also recognize it’s not all that.) After starting at NPR, I turned toward local news because I saw it help people out every day. And I’ve freelanced, beginning in New Orleans after Katrina and in multiple places since then, often following stories I saw unreported. Even when I had a newsroom affiliation, SEJ, and specifically the conference, gave me significant support and often, one last idea to help bring a project home.
Stability can be an elusive concept, but what I really learned from my colleagues at KQED Science and the California Newsroom (NPR’s regional “hub”) is that we’re stronger when we solve problems together and stand for quality work together. Now, after eight independent years, I’m a staff writer for Public Health Watch, covering environmental health issues in California.
I haven’t always felt connected to SEJ; we struggled to be inclusive across reporting platforms, generations, race and ethnicity. So much has changed, over the years — so much work, done by several succeeding boards and members, and now the new executive director, to strengthen and open SEJ. My hope would be to honor the spirit of that work and simply keep going.
My commitment to SEJ is to make us resilient to the challenges we can see and as ready as possible for the ones we can’t, to working on the foundation of the cathedral without knowing what the ceiling will look like. Working in nonprofits, and scrutinizing them, for pretty much all of my journalism career, I’ve also advised a few. Empathy and concern for vulnerable people trying to sustain careers as solid ground crumbles away matters to me: I would like to pass on the kindnesses I’ve received. Openness to new ideas, transparency and communication all take time, and I would be happy to spend mine promoting those values.
I’d love to talk to anyone who has questions or thoughts for me, and I humbly suggest that I’ve got a unique set of skills, interests and experience to support SEJ. I’d be really honored to get to work.
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