Professional Affiliation

Executive Director, Council for the Advancement of Science Writing

Expert Bio

Meaghan Parker was the executive director of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) from 2018-2023. Under her leadership, SEJ raised more than $5 million; doubled its Fund for Environmental Journalism; launched new fellowship, training and outreach programs; and committed to integrating equity throughout its activities, which more than doubled the diversity of its membership. Previously, she was the senior writer/editor and partnerships director for the Environmental Change and Security Program and the Global Sustainability and Resilience Program of the Wilson Center, where she worked for 15 years. She was a founder and editor-in-chief of the award-winning New Security Beat, a daily blog covering environment, health and security. She was the supervising producer of the award-winning documentary trilogy, "Healthy People, Healthy Environment," which was filmed in Tanzania, Nepal and Ethiopia. She was the lead editor of "A New Climate for Peace," an online platform and independent study commissioned by the foreign ministers of the G7. Before stepping down to join the staff, she served for six years on SEJ's Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Board of The Uproot Project, the membership association for environmental journalists of color, as well as on the Advisory Council of Planet Forward, a project of George Washington University. She is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, JAWS (Journalism and Women Symposium), the National Association of Science Writers and The Uproot Project.

Expertise

• Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
• Disaster Management
• Energy
• Environment
• Food and Agriculture
• Gender
• Global Health
• International Development
• Migration
• Population

Wilson Center Project

The Future of Environmental Journalism

Project Summary

"The Future of Environmental Journalism" will explore these critical questions facing the field: Supporting journalists: What’s needed to support the pipeline of future environmental journalists – particularly local journalists -- and to keep early-career journalists in the field, despite the industry’s instability? How to best support environmental journalists of color and increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the field? Funding journalism: What are the existing and emerging models for funding environmental journalism and which have been most successful? Where are the best opportunities to scale up via partnerships and pooled funding? How can we ensure that environmental journalism isn’t “left out” of efforts to save local journalism? Measuring impact: What are the best ways to measure and evaluate the impact of environmental journalism? How can non-journalism organizations engage and inform journalists to increase and amplify that impact? Working with partners: What are the benefits and limitations of environmental journalism support organizations and how might they work together more effectively? What other potential partners could be recruited to join the effort to improve and increase environmental journalism, particularly local environmental journalism? Reaching audiences: How can environmental journalists work with non-journalism organizations to better reach and inform audiences, including national policymakers and community leaders, while maintaining editorial independence?

Previous Terms

Senior Writer/Editor, Environmental Change and Security Program