The Society of Professional Journalists announced on May 19 that Columbia Insight, an environmental news website based in Hood River, was a winner in its 2021 Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest.
The Society of Professional Journalists announced on May 19 that Columbia Insight, an environmental news website based in Hood River, was a winner in its 2021 Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest.
HOOD RIVER — The Society of Professional Journalists announced on May 19 that Columbia Insight, an environmental news website based in Hood River, was a winner in its 2021 Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest. Columbia Insight received second place for its environmental reporting.
The award came for three articles focused on corporate influence over natural resources, including mega-dairies in eastern Oregon, corporate land purchases to obtain water rights, and the controversy about solar power expansion in Klickitat County.
Hood River residents Susan and Jurgen Hess founded Columbia Insight (then EnviroGorge) in 2016 in response to the closure of many newspapers and the loss of focused environmental reporting. Since then, Columbia Insight’s reach has grown beyond the Columbia Gorge to cover the entire Columbia River basin, stretching from Idaho and parts of Montana west to the Pacific Ocean. A collaborative agreement with AP Story Share permits other newspapers to republish CI stories, expanding its base of readers and its influence.
Most recently, that influence reached across the Columbia River into Washington. Columbia Insight’s 2021 article on cougar killings by Klickitat County law enforcement using dogs helped prompt new action in the Washington legislature. The Washington State Senate passed SB 5613, requiring the approval of the Department of Fish and Wildlife before county employees can hunt cougars with dogs. The bill is still pending in the Washington House. Opinion pieces on the CI website explore both sides of environmentally challenging issues. The pumped-hydro project spearheaded by hydropower developer Rye Development is an example of a controversial “green energy” project. Columbia Insight published the opposition viewpoint from Elaine Harvey, explaining the Yakama Nation’s concerns. Columbia Insight is available online at www.columbiainsight.org.
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