CivicStory awards 11 NJ Sustainability Reporting Fellowships
Eleven journalists will report over the next four months on environmental sustainability action in New Jersey, as the newest recipients of New Jersey Sustainability Reporting (NJSR) fellowships. This is the largest group of fellows since the multi-year collaborative news project launched, in 2019, to help accelerate New Jersey's pivot to sustainability and away from ecological deterioration.
The fellowship offers professional development sessions for journalists. The 2020 group of fellows’ professional development included visits to Montclair State University, NJ Spotlight News studios, and the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority.
The fellows, representing nine diverse news outlets throughout the state, range from pre-career college reporters to journalists with decades of experience. They were selected competitively by a team that included CivicStory staff, trustees, and advisors.
“Journalists and their editors increasingly value both the professional support provided by the fellowship, and the chance to help their audiences recognize their civic capacity for advancing environmental sustainability and environmental justice in New Jersey,” said Pamela B. Daniels, CivicStory board president. “The number of applicants more than doubled compared to each of the three previous rounds of the fellowship.”
TAPinto Hoboken editor Steve Lenox commented, about reporter Kimberly Redmond’s participation, “I have no doubt that Kim’s work as a Sustainability Reporting Fellow is going to have a meaningful impact on our community of readers.”.
The four-month fellowship supports journalists and their newsrooms with per-story stipends, opportunities to learn about sustainability topics, access to sustainability experts statewide, and enhanced visibility for fellows’ stories, which are co-published or co-aired by their own newsroom and on the NJSR website, www.SRhub.org.
“There are so many ways that New Jersey communities and organizations are working to address global warming, pollution, habitat loss, and other environmental injustices," said Maya Curry, selection committee member and Vice President, Communications and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Newark Regional Business Partnership. "I believe the fellows’ sustainability news stories will help New Jerseyans understand that both collective and individual action is critical to resolving our worsening climate crisis.”
For more information about the New Jersey Sustainability Reporting Project, and to view stories by past fellows, visit www.SRhub.org.
New Jersey Sustainability Reporting Fellows, April-July 2022
M. Blessing Akeju is a rising junior and biology major at New Jersey City University, and a contributing writer for the university's Gothic Times newspaper. She usually writes about environmental current issues, runs a university student volunteer club, and likes to do Bible studies. She likes to read and write stories, and is a cartoonist.
Opetunde Joy Akeju is a sophomore Biology major at New Jersey City University. She is a contributing writer for the university's newspaper, The Gothic Times. As an aspiring pharmacist and volunteer service enthusiast, she is very interested in the intersection between healthcare, science, and community outreach. In her spare time, she likes to study chemistry and learn foreign languages.
Janique Burke, Managing Editor of Trenton Journal, previously served as Assistant Editor of The Source Magazine, and is a former Forbes Travel Guide Luxury Hotel Evaluator. Originally, from Bronx, New York, Janique is a graduate of The University of Maryland with a BA in English. She is also the author of Girlfriends’ Guide to Luxury: 5 Benefits of Five-Star Hotel Stays, where she recounts some of her experiences as a luxury hospitality expert.
Dana DiFilippo is a veteran journalist who last summer helped launch the New Jersey Monitor, a watchdog news outlet that is part of the national nonprofit States Newsroom. She has experience in newspapers, radio, magazines, and digital. She writes about all sorts of topics, but is especially interested in criminal and social justice issues.
Clyde Hughes, founder and editor of Front Runner New Jersey.com, is a journalism veteran with more than four decades of experience covering urban and ethnic communities around the country. He has worked as a full-time newspaper reporter in Texas and Ohio and freelanced extensively for publications in Indiana before starting Front Runner New Jersey. He also freelances for United Press International, FRNJ Extra, and other online publications.
Annmary Ibrahim is an Egyptian college student currently pursuing Digital Design as well as Journalism, with the hope of one day becoming an animator and writer. With a passion for both written and visual media, she is now utilizing her many interests, opinions, and stances to further her studies and explore new opportunities in writing and design.
Evelynn Morrill is an aspiring journalist who has written articles for The SandPaper, a local newspaper on Long Beach Island. In May of 2022, Evelynn will graduate with a degree in Communication Studies as well as a minor in Writing. Evelynn is a life-long resident of Ocean County, New Jersey and loves all of the diverse environments she is exposed to while living here.
Kimberly Redmond is based in Bergen County, where she works as a media specialist for TAPInto Hoboken and TAPInto Jersey City. Her background also includes working as a local reporter at The Star Ledger, Patch.com, and USA Today Network.
Amanda Wallace is a junior at Stockton University. She is a communication studies major with a focus on journalism, and is minoring in marine science with a focus on marine biology. Amanda is a native of Rockaway, NJ.
Tom Wiedmann, a graduate of Rutgers University - Newark who earned his B.A. in journalism, is a deputy editor for TAPinto Newark. His daily reporting on New Jersey's largest city typically includes stories about environmental issues, residential and commercial development, education, and how state and local legislation impacts residents. He is a native of Nutley, NJ.
Talia Wiener is an education reporter with the Montclair Local. Prior to joining the paper in April 2021, she worked as an environmental reporter covering fracking for the Public Herald. From National Public Radio in Washington, D.C. to Transitions Online in Prague, Talia has written around the world and across topic areas, including stories about indigenous language revitalization in Alaska, social justice marches on Washington, and land use in Charlottesville, VA. She graduated from William & Mary in 2020.
Fellow Selection Committee
Jennie Aylward, Senior Editor, CivicStory
Geoffrey Belinfante, External Relations Director, Jersey Access Group
Maya Curry, Vice President, Communications and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Newark Regional Business Partnership
Susan Haig, trustee, CivicStory
Steven Rodas, reporter, NJ.com, and former New Jersey Sustainability Reporting fellow