Photos From the New Wave Award Reception and Community Reporting Fellows Opening Night

Last night in Detroit, the LIFT Project and the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources (IJNR) gathered to celebrate the inaugural New Wave Award, honoring early-career reporters for their pursuit of excellence in environmental journalism. This year, we honored Jenae Barnes for her work as the "magic well water lady" and her critical reporting for Capital B Gary about dangerous water contamination of a popular artesian well. Documenting these milestones through visual storytelling is a vital part of how we bring our community to life. Explore the gallery below for a look at the energy, the people, and the shared commitment to trusted local journalism that made this night possible. Many thanks to the behind the camera and scenes work of LIFTxVoices Lead Jarrad Henderson and new-to-the-team multimedia apprentice Christa Young.

Photos by Jarrad Henderson.