By Easton Umansky
In a time of increasing polarization, how to learn and share perspectives is at the front of mind for our campus. Environmental reporter for KNKX Public Radio Bellamy Pailthorp shared the importance of seeking diverse perspectives with students, as she considers the work of storytelling to be an integral part of human identity.
Pailthorp opened her Feb. 17 discussion titled “Storytelling and the Environment” with a group selfie. Remarking on her desire to be like Ellen, she brought a level of familiarity to the room of strangers. Students were spread across all fields of study, as the event was hosted by German Studies and Environmental Studies & Sciences Professor Kristopher Imbrigotta and attracted a crowd of interdisciplinary, curious students. German studies students were particularly eager to engage with Pailthorp’s field work in Germany, where she began her journalism career. She quickly harnessed interviewing skills as she was thrown into the field shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, where she served as a vital translator.
Pailthorp shared a slideshow of essential journalist guides and values, and remarked on the importance of incorporating differing perspectives as a means of doing no harm and reporting truthfully. Her notion of storytelling emphasizes real and ethical journalism practices as means of being — not just of writing. With an increasing number of free news sources online, alongside social media, it has become even easier to be misinformed by non-professional storytellers. She even remarked that her news is not fake. “I’m real, I reported every word and mixed and edited everything myself. So I can say with conviction, this is real,” Pailthorp said.
Online news forums build the potential for media bubbles, as individuals become increasingly entangled with others sharing their same belief. Pailthorp sees the value of public radio such as KNKX as an anchor going through life — a service. She emphasized that searching for understanding is the way she exists in the world beyond just her work. “You gain perspective on the world in a way that is very important, and that I think many people are hungry to hear, seeking to understand, not to change, and sharing your understanding, maybe as a vehicle for survival in the world,” Pailthorp said.
The need to survive in the world was complemented by Professor Imbrigotta’s recognition of the importance of National Public Radio (NPR) as a means of gaining knowledge. Imbrigotta is one of many professors heading the university’s newly developed environmental studies & sciences (ESS) major and teaches a new course called Global Eco-Cinema: Aesthetics and Practice, a connection of environmental storytelling via documentaries and movies. Through the course and its emphasis on storytelling instead of closed-mindedness, Imbrigotta reconnected with Pailthorp with the goal of inspiring students and providing more connections to future careers. Additionally, he recognized how issues of justice, politics and health are all connected to the environment. “Environmental issues, these are the most important issues that we can talk about right now,” Imbrigotta said. The new ESS major was inspired by various professors already teaching and touching on the environment, and its creation has allowed a collective space for students to engage with the interdisciplinary nature of the work.
Students connected with Pailthorp’s examples of her work and Imbirgotta’s focus on storytelling. Natural science biology and environmental policy major Claire Bargman (‘26) found Pailthorp’s talk inspiring and appreciated that it offered new insight into possible careers. With an interest in scientific communication, Bargman has been passionate about utilizing her outgoing nature to communicate data and scientific results in approachable ways. She understands the importance of creating awareness, noting that “even though the research is still really important, the issue that’s preventing change is that research is not getting explained in the appropriate way to the people who need to have it explained to them.” The guest lecture opened the door to more career opportunities for Bargman and made her more curious about environmental storytelling.
The importance of storytelling did not go unfelt as students left the room with a new passion for the art. As Pailthorp notes, there is significance in telling the truth and searching for the truth. Her closing remarks note this importance and the value of doing this career, as the environment is in continuous need of passionate storytellers.