UW News

February 12, 2009

Journalism students launch ‘Sound News’

News and Information

The region’s newest source of news about Puget Sound was launched last Friday by UW environmental journalism students and their instructor.

With new stories and blogs every day, Sound News is meant to take readers from neighborhoods to the halls of the state Legislature, from scientists’ laboratories to the waters of Puget Sound, according to an e-mail announcing the Web site. See the site at http://courses.washington.edu/ejourn/wordpress/.

The e-mail says to watch for stories on: What local residents think about:


  • The removal of the Elwha River dams.
  • Killing invasive blackberry bushes.
  • A look behind the battle over Maury Island.
  • What toxic PCBs are doing to orcas.
  • What rubber sports fields have to do with Puget Sound.

There are 16 students in the class and they include journalism majors as well as students in environmental studies with an interest in writing, according to Warren Cornwall — a Seattle Times environmental reporter who is teaching the class.

The author of “New artificial sports fields raise environmental concerns,” for example, is Maggie Murdoch, a senior in environmental studies with a background in restoration ecology. In her story, she looked at sports fields where the base is made of granulated bits of rubber from discarded tires and considers what might wash off the fields into nearby wetlands and from there into other Puget Sound areas waterways.

Sarah Jeglum, on the other hand, is majoring in journalism and is editor in chief of The Daily. The first week of the new site, she wrote about the Puget Sound River History project, led by UW research scientist Brian Collins. “Its goal is to provide information about the history of the Sound as a resource for river management and restoration planning in the present,” she wrote.

The site is not just meant for members of the class but anyone can join the conversation by posting comments at the bottoms of stories. Readers are welcome to send story tips and to offer to write guest blogs by contacting Sound News at pugetsoundnews@gmail.com or Cornwall at 206-794-4130.