Nina Misuraca Ignaczak (BS ’97, MS ’03) had always been interested in journalism, but it was not until 2013, when she left a nearly 15-year career of working in community planning focused on land preservation, watershed management, trails and recreation parks, that she pursued full-time journalism. “I kind of had the nagging feeling that I should be doing journalism,” she told attendees at a recent University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Alumni Master Chat. Her talk focused on “Environmental Journalism’s Role in Protecting Our Planet.”

Ignaczak started freelancing for media startups but noticed a gap in local environmental media coverage at the time. “I just didn’t see what I wanted to do out there,” she said. In 2019, Ignaczak launched Planet Detroit as a newsletter side project in response to a lack of local environmental news outlets in the Detroit area. The newsletter started to gain traction and grew organically from there. Today, Planet Detroit is an award-winning nonprofit digital media company that has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News and LION Publishers. Its mission is to “produce quality climate, equity, health, and environmental journalism for the public interest that centers on grassroots voices, holds power accountable, spotlights solutions, and serves the community.”  

Empowering Readers

Planet Detroit’s work models what locally rooted, public interest environmental journalism can look like by serving a greater purpose than providing information to the community. “We see journalism as a means to an end, as a means to drive people to do something, not just to inform, not just to entertain, but to actually inspire people to take action,” Ignaczak said. 

Rather than directing its audience to specific policy change, Planet Detroit hopes to empower its readers to participate in democratic structures that affect the city and beyond. “We’re not telling people what to say. We’re not prescribing policies,” Ignaczak said. “We are here to help people understand the connection between current events and the democratic process in their communities.” 

Making Environmental Issues Local and Relevant

Ignaczak spoke about how historically, environmental journalism has been focused on distant places like the Arctic, the Mountain West and the Amazon, which have made it difficult for people to see themselves in the stories. Planet Detroit works to connect environmental issues to readers’ daily lives. 

“There are serious environmental health challenges that we face in the city,” said Ignaczak, who noted that the American Lung Association has graded air quality in Detroit an “F.” She also cited disproportionate asthma rates among people of color, energy reliability issues and hazardous waste disposal as other concerns. Planet Detroit works to report on these issues from local perspectives through guides, explainer webinars and short-form videos to meet people where they are in their understanding of community problems.

Building Community Trust

Building community trust is key to how Planet Detroit has worked to reshape the way that environmental journalism is conducted. Ignaczak was direct about the tension that exists between journalists and the communities they cover. She described how “a lot of times journalists will come in and be transactional. They want your story, your information and your photograph, but do not put in the time required to really gain trust.”

To help foster trust, Planet Detroit hosted a convening that brought together journalists, community members and environmental justice advocates to share meals and build stronger community relationships. During the event, shared principles and standards were established for journalists and community members to follow when they are working together. Ignaczak made it clear that “it was just the very beginning of a discussion,” but that it helped to clear up misconceptions on both sides, and that building relationships takes sustained commitment.

Looking Ahead

Ignaczak acknowledged the challenges of the changing journalism landscape, from declining local news sources, AI impacts on webpage views and the rollback of environmental policies. She also mentioned rising liability insurance costs and concerns about the safety of staff working in areas with immigration enforcement activity. Despite these challenges, Ignaczak remains grounded in the work of Planet Detroit. “I try not to worry about things too much,” she said. “I think we just have to keep doing what we’re doing and try to keep moving forward.” 

To learn more about Planet Detroit and sign up for their twice-weekly newsletter focused on local environmental news, visit Planet Detroit.