Roanoke Times "Heaven Needs a Catcher" 

"All great environmental writers I know take offense at any suggestion that we're environmentalists. After all, great cop reporters aren't called cops, and great political reporters aren't called politicians. Journalists are in the business of holding people accountable. Period." -- Tom Henry  

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This story does a great job of really describing what the role of an enironmental journalist should be. We are not here to pick sides or find a clear-cut winner or loser. We are meant to write stories to keep a check on the ineptness taht could cause massive amounts of tragedy and heartbreak. Both the tragic stories in this story COULD have been prevented. If more journalists could investigate and pursue these situations, than perhaps they can prevent further tragedy. It does not really strike home until you hear stories like these two and wonder what might have been if things could of gone a different way with the agencies and the press would have realized it sooner.

Tom Henry makes a great point when he states that environmental journalists are not environmentalists, just like police journalists are not police officers. A journalist is a journalist no matter what; they're jobs are still do give the public the information they need and deserve as citizens.  -Adam

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This article is great in many ways. First off it is well written, which is to be expectedby a journalist, but rarely happens. Second, the stories he tells about Kim Tolnar and Wade King are remarkable. Stories such as these are why people want to become journalists. I think the way he told them here in a short manner still made my heart hurt for these families. That is hard to do in a few short paragraphs. And third, Henry tells people what they should already know about journalists and journalism which is:

"Journalists are in the business of holding people accountable. Period.

As environmental journalists, we're trusting our instincts and making associations for readers based on the best available information. It takes a lot of street savvy to figure out who to trust and who's trying to sell you a bill of goods. You follow the paper trail, you follow the money trail, and you look for agendas. And you remain inspired -- ideally, even insatiable -- about your quest for truth and your understanding of both the science and politics of what you're writing about."

Journalists do not take sides or try to munipulate the situation. They are there to tell the story and to tell it the best possible way they can. The beauty of journalism is the story-telling aspect. Everyone wants to be able to tell a story without hindering the facts or seem to be taking sides and only a journalist can do that and make it look easy.

~Koryn Stevens