World's Richest Journalism Prize Offered for Environmental Reporting

Reports entered to win the Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment must cover environment and/or natural resources topics and be originally published or broadcast in the United States or Canada between January 1 and December 31, 2008, in print, broadcast, online, or book formats.

"The 2008 Grantham Prize, awarded to 'The New York Times' for their series, 'Choking on Growth,' exemplified the clear, accurate, and innovative journalism that we love to see," said prize administrator Sunshine Menezes of the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting.

"This prize has inspired environmental journalists around the world, and we have been thrilled to present each $75,000 check to the winners in recognition of their efforts," said Menezes.

The Grantham Prize is administered by the Metcalf Institute and entries for the 2009 prize should be submitted there. Located at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, the institute provides science training for reporters and editors and offers fellowships.

The 2009 Grantham Prize jury will be chaired by Philip Meyer, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Meyer is the author of the journalism textbook, "Precision Journalism," and of "The Vanishing Newspaper: Saving Journalism in the Information Age."

He was on the "Detroit Free Press" reporting team that won a 1968 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of Detroit rioting in 1967.

Rounding out the team of Grantham Prize 2009 jurors are:

David Boardman, executive editor of "The Seattle Times," and past president of the Board of Directors of Investigative Reporters and Editors

Peter Desbarats, former dean of the University of Western Ontario Graduate School of Journalism in London, Ontario, a founding director of the Canadian Journalism Foundation and also the founding chair of its annual Excellence Award

Diane Hawkins-Cox, senior producer with the CNN Science and Technology Unit

Robert B. Semple, Jr., associate editor of the editorial page for "The New York Times" and a 1996 Pulitizer Prize winner for editorial writing on environmental issues.

Hannelore and Jeremy Grantham (Photo courtesy Imperial College London)

Book entries for the Grantham Prize must be postmarked no later than January 12, 2009. All other entries must be postmarked by February 2, 2009. Click here for contest rules and additional information about the prize.

The Grantham Prize is funded by Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham through The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, established in 1997.

The foundation supports climate change research and natural resource conservation programs in the United States and internationally, including The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam and Environmental Defense.

Jeremy Grantham is a Boston-based investment strategist and Hannelore Grantham serves as the director of The Grantham Foundation.

"The public deserves ready access to the kind of information and news that only outstanding independent journalism can provide," the Granthams said in announcing the prize in 2005. They aim to "give that kind of reporting the honor, respect, and visibility it needs."

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.