LAURA PASKUS
I’ve been a journalist since 2002, working in print, online, radio, and public television.
I’ve dedicated my career to helping people understand water, climate, energy and wildlife issues within their communities. For more than a decade, I’ve focused my activism within journalism on government transparency as well as supporting local reporters, many of whom face challenges like low pay and oftentimes no benefits, lack of newsroom support and job security, media buyouts and layoffs, and oftentimes, the pressures associated with freelancing.
As a board member, I will always advocate for local reporters and student journalists — to boost resources and support, shine a light on the work they’re doing and make sure they have a strong voice within the organization.
While serving out the remainder of a previous board member’s term over the past year, I’ve taken on a number of responsibilities within SEJ, including co-chairing the fundraising committee; working on the finance committee; and advocating to strengthen the organization’s continued work on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Let’s just be honest: There’s never been a worse time to be a journalist. There’s also never been a better time. As environment reporters, we have the privilege of acting as proxies for the public: asking questions of those in authority, tracking the process by which decisions are made and helping tell the most important stories of our generation. As an SEJ board member, I am proud to represent members doing this work — and I’m dedicated to protecting our profession, our members and our future.
Currently I work for NMPBS as the environment reporter. In addition to producing weekly segments on the environment, I produce and host a monthly show, “Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present, and Future” and am working as part of FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative on an investigation into the military’s contamination of groundwater in New Mexico. I’m also the editor of The Slick, a project of Capital & Main, and a frequent freelancer.
This fall, the University of New Mexico Press released my new book, “At the Precipice: New Mexico’s Changing Climate.”
Throughout my career I have worked for High Country News, KUNM-FM, Tribal College Journal and New Mexico Political Report, and freelanced for outlets like Al Jazeera, Ms. Magazine, Indian Country Today, National Geographic Online, Columbia Journalism Review, The Progressive, Santa Fe Reporter, New Mexico In Depth and Orion.
I’ve been an SEJ member for most of my career (and mentored a number of journalists within the organization) and served three terms as president of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Laura Paskus
Albuquerque, N.M.