Profile: Kelly Benjamin

Kelly has shown interest in Gov't + Politics, Race & Demographics, Education, Employment Issues, Criminal Justice, Wealth & Poverty, Cultural Diversity, Public Health, Environment, Public Media

About Kelly Benjamin

I am a Florida native and freelance journalist who has contributed to a number of publications including the St. Petersburg Times, Free Speech Radio News, WMNF Community Radio, the Creative Loafing Newspaper chain, and Earth Journalism News. I am a recipient of the 2010 Earth Journalism News Climate Media Fellowship and the 2010 WMNF Peace Award. 

Work Samples

Poor People's Campaign fights racism and manufacturers in Benton Harbor, Michigan The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign is in the midst of a 12 week, 24 city march from the Mississippi Delta to Detroit for the US Social Forum that begins next week. Kelly Benjamin is embedded with the march as it makes it's way to Detroit and files this report from Benton Harbor, Michigan. UN Climate Change Conference begins in Cancun The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference begins today in Cancun, Mexico. Following a non-binding agreement in Copenhagen last year, many have low expectations about the latest push to cap greenhouse emissions. But some are continuing to push for strong policy initiatives to curb the effects of climate change, including reducing deforestation and offering financial incentives to developing countries to use cleaner energy. Kelly Benjamin, a fellow with Earth Journalism News, is attending the summit and brings us this report on what can be expected in the way of progress towards an international agreement addressing climate change at this year's summit. East Tampa residents critical of police response to killings of two officers After two Tampa Police officers were killed in East Tampa in June, police began a several-day manhunt for the alleged shooter, Dontae Morris. But weeks after Morris turned himself in, residents of the community are still concerned about how the police acted during the search Class Warfare evident in & outside UN climate talks The United Nations climate change talks in Cancun are taking place in a high security fortress called Moon Palace in an exclusive beachfront resort area but as WMNF's Kelly Benjamin reports, there are 2 sides of Cancun in and outside the UN talks. In Seminole Heights, garden activists call for Food Not Lawns This weekend in Tampa marked the first official gathering of the local chapter of Food Not Lawns, an international movement dedicated to building communities by turning yards into edible gardens. The movement began in 2006, as a grassroots gardening project in Eugene, Oregon and now has dozens of chapters in cities all over the world. The recently founded Tampa group, with over 60 members, meets twice a month for seed swapping, gardening workshops, and something called permablitzing. Natasha Motesharei is a co-founder of the local group that met at the Seminal Heights Community Garden on Saturday. Public criticizes officials' spill response Members of the public were also allowed to comment at today's emergency meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Captain Pat Kelly of the Florida Guides Association thinks the media are overplaying the current threat to Florida's coasts at the detriment of the fishing industry. Battle Rages Over Indigenous Rights and REDD at Climate Talks The UN climate talks in Cancun are heating up this week with a clear division emerging on the issue of Forests and Indigenous Rights WMNF´s Kelly Benjamin is at summit in Mexico and files this report.

Work History

Earth Journalism News December, 2010 Recipient of Earth Journalism News Fellowship to report from 2010 UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico WMNF Community Radio December 2009-Present Freelance contributor to the WMNF Evening News. I take assignments, pitch, write, and produce stories in a fast paced newsroom.