17 Feb Twelve Journalists Recognized As 2020 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award Winners
February 17, 2021 – With our environmental crisis intricately related to but frequently overshadowed by the dramatic political and social events of the past year, twelve journalists have been awarded a 2020 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award in recognition of their work to bring climate knowledge, justice, and action to the forefront of public discourse.
Honorees include four repeat winners: Fiona Harvey of The Guardian, Alexander C. Kaufman of Huffington Post, Dave Roberts of Volts, and Lisa Friedman of The New York Times.
First-time SEAL Environmental Journalism Award recipients include Shannon Osaka of Grist, Zoya Teirstein of Grist, James Temple of The MIT Technology Review, Brian L. Kahn of Earther, Jeff Brady of NPR, Juliet Eilperin of The Washington Post, Rhett A. Butler of Mongabay, and Mary Annaise Heglar, Freelance Climate Essayist.
The 2020 SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards were chaired by Emily Wasley, Corporate Climate Resilience Practice Leader with WSP USA. Throughout her academic and professional career, Ms. Wasley has partnered with government entities, water utilities, and Fortune 50 to 500 corporations to institutionalize climate considerations into existing risk management, business continuity, and sustainability efforts.
“Over the past several years, the field of journalism has been questioned considerably because of the amount of misinformation that exists in our globally interconnected and oftentimes volatile world. Because of this, we rely on trusted journalists for information that is based on sound science and factual evidence,” commented Ms. Wasley. “The journalists that have been identified as exemplary to receive a SEAL Award are not shying away from revealing the truth or calling out those that are further exacerbating our climate crisis. Journalism is imperative to help our society understand what is happening behind the curtain and inform them of the subsequent pain and suffering that climate change is having on our frontline communities. We must protect the field of journalism and the right to free, factual speech that is based on sound science to remain informed of the myriad of challenges and opportunities every one of us will experience today and into the future.”
Winners were selected based on a panel review of each journalist’s work, data-driven analysis of the impact and reach of their articles, and consideration for writers who are bringing fresh perspectives and social relevance to environmental issues. In 2020, SEAL Awards continues to emphasize and celebrate the professionals who pioneer new platforms and build partnerships between news outlets and colleagues in the field of environmental journalism.
2020 SEAL ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS:
- Fiona Harvey – The Guardian – @FionaHarvey
- Alexander C. Kaufman – The Huffington Post – @AlexCKaufman
- Lisa Friedman – New York Times – @LFFriedman
- Dave Roberts – Volts – @DRVolts
- Brian L. Kahn – Earther / Gizmodo – @BLKahn
- Shannon Osaka – Grist – @ShannonOsaka
- Zoya Teirstein – Grist – @ZTeirstein
- James Temple – The MIT Technology Review – @JTemple
- Jeff Brady – NPR – @JeffBradyNews
- Juliet Eilperin – The Washington Post – @Eilperin
- Rhett A. Butler – Mongabay – @Rhett_Butler
- Mary Annaise Heglar – Hot Take Newsletter & Podcast – @MaryHeglar
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AWARD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Question: How Do I Apply For A SEAL Environmental Journalism Award?
Answer: Given our ambition to recognize the top twelve journalists globally, the SEAL Environmental Journalism Award is conducted without an application or submission process. Instead, the SEAL panel considers ALL journalists covering environmental topics – this is possible through our year-round content curation program (chaired by Safa Bee) where we seek to amplify on exemplary work on our @SEALAwards Twitter feed. However, we do accept public nominations through this form.
Question: How Do I Nominate My Favorite Journalist For A SEAL Environmental Journalism Award?
Answer: We do accept nominations through this form.
Question: I Am Not A Traditional Journalist – Instead I Produce a Podcast and/or Video Series – Am I Eligible For A SEAL Award?
Answer: Potentially. We understand the media environment is constantly changing. SEAL would also like to celebrate those elevating public awareness on environmental issues, regardless of medium. As such, we will increasingly consider non-written forms of environmental coverage in our award process.
Question: I Care Passionately About The Environment. How Can I Help Support These Environmental Journalists?
Answer: The best way to support environmental journalists is to support their organization, either through a subscription or a donation. Secondarily, supporting their works on social media – whether shares on Facebook or retweets on Twitter – can help amplify their message and show their editors/organizations this content is valued.
Please see below for links to support this year’s SEAL Environmental Journalism Award winners:
- The Guardian – Subscribe
- The New York Times – Subscribe
- Volts – Subscribe
- Grist – Donate
- MIT Technology Review – Subscribe
- NPR – Donate
- The Washington Post – Subscribe
- Mongabay – Donate
- Hot Take Newsletter & Podcast – Subscribe
ABOUT SEAL AWARDS
SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through our corporate sustainability awards & environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing our own environmental impact campaigns.
The SEAL Awards core pillars are:
- Business Sustainability Awards – honors the most sustainable companies in the world, like Adidas, AMD, Cisco, and Tide
- Environmental Journalism Awards – representative past winners include journalists from Guardian, New York Times, and Grist
- Environmental Research Grants