in many ways, florida is at the epicenter of the climate crisis in the united states. rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and deforestation are just some of the many challenges that those in the sunshine state feel the most. while academic research produces statistics and graphs that illustrate how the climate crisis is impacting the state, the real people behind the data get less attention. that is where the marjorie steps in. 

founded by florida natives and scientists hannah brown, rebecca burton, and anna hamilton, the marjorie is a non-profit, independent news outlet dedicated to uplifting the stories of people and communities across florida who are living through the extreme heat, intensifying weather, and changing landscapes that define the climate crisis in florida. through long-form storytelling and first-person narratives, the marjorie is slowly bridging the gap between scientific research and real-life impacts. 

named after three floridian environmental advocates — marjory stoneman douglas, marjorie kinnan rawlings, and marjorie harris carr — the marjorie’s coverage serves as a record of environmental advocates, scientists, and everyday people who are speaking up and fighting for florida. 

i had the opportunity to speak with one of the marjorie’s co-founders, hannah brown, to gain insight into their reporting, goals, and vision.

the contents below have been edited for length and clarity.

cameron glymph: your publication is named after three famous florida marjories. how does the legacy of the marjories impact your vision, and what is your goal with naming your publication after them? 

we’ve been really clear to acknowledge that things have changed since they were working, and some aspects of their legacies are something that we want to build on, not emulate — even the idea of the environment being separate from something else; we think about the environment as a more intertwined concept. especially with marjorie kinnan rawlings — there are racial issues with her texts.

it’s cool that there were three of them, and there are three of us founders. the idea of carrying on the legacy of being a woman and caring about florida’s environment is a special role to fill. it’s become a part of our vernacular: when we meet a new writer or we hear a [story] pitch, we call them “marjories,” as a way to signify a type of person who will fight for florida. 

cg: in your “about” statement, you highlight that the marjorie is intended to share the human impact of climate change in florida. this perspective is often missing from other mass media coverage. how does highlighting human stories help in illustrating the effects of climate change? 

hb: we have a goal of trying to localize climate impacts so that people understand that it’s not some far-out phenomenon that’s happening to somebody else — it’s happening to everybody, now outside of their door. research shows that what’s needed for more climate action is the ability for people to see that it’s happening in their communities. we try this with a particular emphasis on climate change impacts, to show the human side. it’s not just about numbers; what resonates more with audiences is how it impacts people personally. the emotional side is often missing from many scientific discussions. however, it is what gets at the heartstrings of people more quickly and maybe more effectively in some cases. 

cg: what gap is filled in the news cycle by focusing on long-form stories about the environment? 

hb: when working in a traditional newsroom, there are very limited resources for telling stories that require a lot of time. … we wanted to take a long-form model of journalistic storytelling from the ’80s and apply it to stories that really needed to be told. especially with environmental topics, there’s so much nuance and there are so many different perspectives that need to be fleshed out, and you can’t do that in 700 words. since we’re online only and we don’t have print restrictions, we have the ability to tell stories that are longer, and people can take their time. 

the environment is the ultimate common ground for people…” — hannah brown

cg: are there other independent environmental news publications that focus on small areas like the marjorie does? from a public service standpoint, why is this unique coverage important to your vision?

hb: when we started the marjorie, there was a national trend of non-profit outlets popping up to cover regional areas. environmental coverage is often a small aspect of local news, but it’s the source that many people turn to for that information. … as we covered stories, we’ve realized that the environment is the ultimate common ground for people; everyone cares to some extent and feels some part of bliss or awe in some part of the environment they are engaged in. it’s not a hard sell to ask people to care about or to think about it. 

cg: your website says that you prioritize diversity in your reporting. florida boasts a great deal of ecological diversity — every area is distinct, from the everglades to the apalachicola bay. how do you source a variety of both geographical and personal perspectives for stories about florida? 

hb: a lot of people outside of florida don’t realize the distinction between regions in the state. the three of us who founded the marjorie are from north florida. with our “dispatches from a sinking state” series, we feature first-person essays that are written by people who are not journalists. they represent different parts of the state. we also have staff writers from different regions, and they bring a lot of story ideas and connections that we don’t have. having other perspectives and the ability to tell stories from different regions is huge. 

cg: tell me more about “dispatches from a sinking state.” what type of stories are you looking to highlight with that series?

hb: the series goes beyond climate change impacts, and they usually begin with a noticeable environmental change. a lot of people approach us with scientific data, which is interesting and makes a good cornerstone, but it’s not what the purpose of the essay series is — the purpose is to see what those individual trends feel like for an individual and for a community. a lot of the time, we have to work with writers so that they can tell us how it feels to see it happen and what’s at stake for them. once we get people to see the personal value in their stories, they become very poignant pieces. 

one of our favorite ones was written by jesse wilson and it’s called “farewell sanibel.” she wrote it before sanibel island, off the gulf coast of florida, was hit and damaged by a hurricane. wilson wrote to the island like a friend that she was grieving because she knew she was losing it. she had just had a child, so she was grieving the fact that she knew that the island wouldn’t exist in the same way for her child. she kind of personified it in a way that was really meaningful. 

journalism is a public service, and we’re just trying to do our job of providing information.” —hannah brown

cg: what is environmental reporting like in florida, where the government does not allow its lawmakers to use the words “climate change” in legislation? what challenges do reporters face related to that and other politically volatile environmental issues?

hb: this is something that’s relevant nationally — there’s the struggle of trying to get state or federal agencies to cooperate, whether that’s providing information via public records or participating in an interview. we’ve come up [against] roadblocks on both of those accounts in the past, and i think that’s something that’s not just a florida problem. access to information is a struggle — especially in times like this that are particularly divisive. journalism is a public service, and we’re just trying to do our job of providing information. we try to be sensitive to competing interests, while not letting up the pressure of the demands of journalism and the needs of the people who need it. 

cg: the marjorie recently won first place in the society of professional journalists’ sunshine state awards for independent digital news website. what does this milestone mean for your publication? how will it impact you in the future? 

hb: we were really honored to get that recognition. it’s such a unique award, and i’m glad that they have the category. i think that that’s a huge part of us, that we are independent and answer to our readers, science, facts, and human interests — we don’t answer to ads. it’s great to see that we are maintaining some sense of relevance and can continue to pursue stories and publish. people are willing to acknowledge it as something meaningful, and that keeps us going. 

cg: in 20 years, what do you want people to think or say about the marjorie? 

hb: our legacy has become more about nurturing the next generation of storytellers, and we’ve done a lot of mentorship and amplification of others. people who haven’t been published before and who can’t find their traditional outlet find a place with us. i can’t think of anything like it. the more we can do that alongside these long-form series that need to be done, the better.