Water notices posted beside a drinking water fountain in Flint, Mich. © Photo courtesy of James Bruggers.

On July 22, 2016, the public joined us for a community conversation about important regional and national environmental and health issues, and a potential conference and reporting project. The event, organized by SEJ with the University of Michigan-Flint, began with an informal reception, followed by the speakers program and Q&A with SEJ board members Jeffrey Burnside (president), Elizabeth Grossman and Susan Moran.

Featured speakers included:

• UM-Flint Chancellor Susan E. Borrego
• Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of the Michigan State University and Children’s Hurley Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative
• Curt Guyette, ACLU investigative reporter

Coverage:

• Sound recording of the event [2] (MP3/30.4MB/01:28:37)
• Video on Periscope: Part 1 [3]  (00:38:34) |  Part 2 [4] (00:18:02) |  Part 3 [5] (00:12:05)
• "Environmental journalists from around nation talk water crisis in Flint," [6] MLive.com, July 22, 2016, by Michael Kransz.
• "Keep the heat on the Flint story, UM-Flint Chancellor and residents tell national journalists," [7] East Village Magazine, July 26, 2016, by Jan Worth-Nelson.
• "Flint water crisis 'a shocking denial of what should be a right,' NRDC expert tells visiting scribes," [8] East Village Magazine, July 26, 2016, by Jan Worth-Nelson.

"I have no confidence in this state or in the federal government. What I have confidence in is journalism — real journalism — where the truth gets lit up. If you guys don’t keep putting the heat on, we are cooked.” — Flint, Mich. resident Robert Thomas

DEQ water quality sign posted at a local restaurant in Flint. © Photo courtesy of James Bruggers.