West Virginia journalists invited to WVU environmental reporting workshop

“This free, public workshop  – 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. – will examine America’s growing water crisis, from the Elk River chemical spill in West Virginia to the lead contamination in Flint, Michigan. Our expert panel will discuss elevating environmental reporting and engaging citizens in science stories.

Throughout the workshop, there will be demonstrations, hands-on activities and candid conversations — giving participants the opportunity to explore sensor journalism, its promise and peril,” organizers said. “During this daylong event, journalists, watershed groups, citizen scientists and students will join forces to explore how we can experience environmental data beyond our smartphones and computer screens.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Tapping Into What Matters: Telling Science Stories
This ignite-style panel discussion will take a candid look at the pros and cons of investigating environmental stories with sensors, why telling science stories matters and the power of connecting community members to what’s happening in their own backyards.

11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Let’s eat! Working lunch and networking

1 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Sessions:

• Can You Hack It? DIY Water Sensor BuildingLet’s do this! Don Blair and Jillian Clemente will lead you through a mini-makeathon to build a water conductivity sensor.
• The Art of Dataviz: Spinning Data into StoryLearn by doing: John Keefe and Dave Mistich will teach you tricks and tools for turning sensor data into visual stories.
• Coal Mining’s Impact: A Polluted Stream Gets a Second LookWVU College of Media graduate students Colleen Good and Shishira Sreenivas will walk participants through the evolution of their story on water quality problems in a Grafton, West Virginia, stream.
• Making Science Make Sense: How to Talk to the MediaJoin Jason Hubbart for a rapid experimental session to get feedback on crafting your science into bite-size, easily digestible information.

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Happy Hour:
– Meet and greet with the photographers from “In The Air” exhibit
– Maker Journalism show and tell
Join us for refreshments!

4:45 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Horizon Watch: Sensor Tech and the Internet of Things
Trend report and closing remarks