Creator/host, Hazard NJ podcast
NJ Spotlight News/NJ PBS
Age: 33
In three words: “Tenacious, thoughtful, polished”
What colleagues say: Jordan is a dynamic one-woman team with incredible insight and tenacity as an investigative journalist. Her latest work, Hazard NJ, has increased public knowledge of Superfund sites, the ways they will be affected by climate change and the urgency of cleaning up these sites to prevent the spread of toxic pollutants.
Jordan’s reporting has been incorporated into the school science curriculum and resulted in updates to the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup methods. It has also motivated the state government to allot more money to cleanup efforts and to speed up the process.
What Jordan says
Decision to work in public media: I started as an undergraduate when I interned with KUT in Austin. I continue to work in public media to help start conversations and engage with the communities I serve.
Key accomplishments: Creating the Hazard NJ podcast, which looks at the impacts of climate change on hazardous Superfund sites in New Jersey. The podcast is a public service and works to be a platform where community members can help influence meaningful, positive change.
Inspired by: Collaborating with the local communities I work with on Hazard NJ.
Advice for young public media professionals: Listen and collaborate with local communities on projects. Remember that you’re part of the community and doing journalism with the community.
Advice for public media leaders: Be proactive, not reactive. Collaborate with local communities on projects.
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