ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM PROGRAM

 The East Tennessee Society of Professonal Journalists chapter has a major professional development program on tap in March called “Writing Green.”

The full-day conference aims to “prepare present and future journalists to handle the massive and ever-increasing amount of information related to environmental topics,” the chapter’s conference publicity says.

The public also is invited.

Writing Green is scheduled for March 27, 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. at Calhoun’s On the River, 400 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, Tenn. Fees are $15 for SPJ members, $20 for nonmembers and $30 at the door.

Early-registration discounts are available. Go to http://etspj.org/environmental-conference/.

Keynote speaker for the conference will be Jim Detjen, director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University.

Planned panel sessions include: Intro to Environmental Issues in Southern Appalachia, Environmental Law and Policy, The Energy Beat — Coal in Appalachia, and Application of Environmental Journalism.

Co-sponsors of the event are the University of Tennessee Environmental Studies Program and the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment.

Personal note: What an impressive program. This is worth your while if you are a journalist in Tennessee, southern Virginia, northwest North Carolina and northern Georgia.