Great Lakes Now’s documentary about the history of and current political debates about Enbridge Line 5 in the Mackinac Straits garnered a top award from the Society of Professional Journalists metro Detroit chapter on Thursday.
“Beneath the Surface: The Line 5 Pipeline in the Great Lakes” earned first place in the environmental reporting category for television.
In their comments, the judges said, “Beautifully shot, well-researched and documented, compelling topic.”
Produced by Ed Moore and Mary Ellen Geist, the film aired on Michigan public television stations in Detroit, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Marquette, Mount Pleasant and University Center. It was part of the line up at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival and has screened at several community events and conferences.
The program aired in mid 2018. Later that year, Line 5 became an issue in Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign. The future of the line – whether it will be replaced with a pipeline inside a tunnel – remains uncertain in Michigan’s capitol.
Another Enbridge-focused piece won in the Consumer/Watchdog/Investigative Reporting category. “Emails cast doubt on Michigan’s ties to Enbridge in Line 5 debate,” reported and written by Jim Malewitz at Bridge Magazine and Craig Mauger at the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, earned second place in that division.
