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Meet SEJ member Ainsley Platt! Ainsley is a reporter for the Arkansas Advocate based out of Little Rock, where she covers state government with a focus on environment reporting. She covers everything from environmental regulations to lithium extraction efforts to big dam controversies. In particular, she loves taking "field trips" out into other areas of the state to experience what the people she speaks to experience, and using those stories to tell bigger stories and explain complicated concepts, laws and regulations. She has earned accolades for her use of FOIA in her reporting during her time at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and for her stories about discrimination and student government as a staff reporter, and later as the news desk editor for The Crimson White, The University of Alabama's student newspaper.
When asked if she recommends SEJ membership for her colleagues, Ainsley said, "Absolutely, especially if you're just getting your toes wet with environment or climate reporting. It can be such a broad beat, and SEJ's regular newsletters and publications have been so helpful as I've brainstormed story ideas and searched for background information." Join us — apply for SEJ membership.
Check out some of Ainsley's work:
- "Arkansas To Test Surface Waters for PFAS, Identify Contamination Sources," Arkansas Advocate, May 21, 2025
- "'Pungent and Nauseating': Fort Smith-Area Residents Push for State To Deny Land Application Permit," Arkansas Advocate, May 16, 2025
- "Crawford County Residents Complain About Solid Waste; Enforcement Agency Says It’s Hamstrung by State Law," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 1, 2025
- "Arkansas Researcher’s Work Has Helped Determine Increase in Severity and Frequency of Drought," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 28, 2024
- "Oil and Gas Commissioners Unanimously Reject Companies’ Lithium Royalty Proposal," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 5, 2024
- "Agencies, Landowners Mired In Dispute Over Dam In Des Arc," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 15, 2024
Find Ainsley:
X: @ainsleyplatt
Bluesky: @ainsleyplatt.bsky.social
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