Tops in Environmental Reporting

The Columbia Graduate School of Journalism announced today that a USA Today investigation by reporters reporters Blake Morrison and Brad Heath into the smokestack effects of toxic air around America’s schools has won the 2009 John B. Oakes Award for excellence in environment journalism. Judges state that it focused the nation’s attention on the quality of the air that children breathe eight hours a day. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a $2.25 million program to monitor air quality outside schools, and a campaign is underway before Congress for tighter rules on where schools can be built.

That award is getting plenty of notice so allow me to focus on a special citation for someone I've written about often in the past, Kelly Kennedy (left), who has covered numerous war-related stories with so much distinction for the Military Times papers. The judges called this a rare step to recognize a runnerup. The press release states: "Kennedy was recognized for courage in breaking news and for following up with a compelling series of more than two dozen stories about the health threats to troops who are exposed to war-zone burn pits." She also has an important book coming out next month based on her reporting in Iraq. -- Greg Mitchell