And that’s just he plans to do. From what Schleifstein understands of the chaotic situation, his assignment will remain basically the same, although he’ll probably have more to cover. Colleagues such as Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, who wrote about the chemical industry and covered fisheries in the Gulf, did not receive job offers from Nola Media Group.
“I just don’t understand a lot of these moves,” Schleifstein said. He added that he is entering the new venture with his “eyes open,” and hoping something good will come of the focus on online coverage. But his frustration was clear. In The Big Easy, this isn’t an easy time.
Well-done, Curtis, and the recognition is well-deserved for Mark. One thing to add here is that while he was covering Katrina, Mark and his family were dealing with the loss of their own house to the flood.
#1 Posted by Peter Dykstra, CJR on Fri 22 Jun 2012 at 11:11 AM
Very true, Peter. Mark's been an inspiration to countless journalists throughout America. I'm honored to be a friend of his and of yours and of others I've met through the Society of Environmental Journalists.
#2 Posted by Tom Henry, CJR on Sun 24 Jun 2012 at 12:36 PM
This is now almost seven years old, but CJR readers might like to see this piece I did re Mark and others following the Katrina panel at SEJ's 2005 conference in Austin, a panel that examined the effects that Katrina had on journalism at the time (and how newspapers provided a valuable public service): http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2005/10/09/New-era-of-disasters-brings-changes-in-media-coverage.html
#3 Posted by Tom Henry, CJR on Sun 24 Jun 2012 at 12:43 PM