Eli Kintisch Announced as New Ted Turner Professor of Environmental Media
The science journalist and video producer will teach courses that focus on using innovative storytelling to address the climate crisis.
The Ted Turner Endowment
The Ted Turner Endowment
Ted Turner Honored at GW for his Commitment to Sustainability
As the world grows increasingly complex and divided, people need credible, trustworthy information more than ever.
Named in honor of a pioneer in global media and journalism, the Ted Turner Endowment highlights the importance of compelling fact-based storytelling through an endowed professorship at the George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA).
Ted Turner revolutionized the way people consume television news. He disrupted and defined an industry. He brought an audacious entrepreneurial spirit to storytelling and global communication. Reflecting his passion for the planet, holders of the professorship will focus on the profound challenges confronting a world where there will be 10 billion people by mid-century and where the effects of the global climate crisis are already being felt.
Located in the heart of the nation’s capital, GW occupies a unique position at the crossroads of media, politics, technology and the arts. Five blocks from the White House, this is where debate takes place and decisions are made. Through the Ted Turner Endowed Fund, we will teach and inspire young people. This initiative will increase public understanding, create a permanent public presence highlighting Ted’s legacy, invest in journalism and benefit students for generations to come.
Impact Areas
This endowed fund is a reflection of Ted’s lifelong commitment to the environment and will build on important environmental and sustainability work already established within SMPA. It is composed of these three elements:
Ted Turner Professor of Environmental Media
This individual will be a prominent and active journalist, filmmaker or author. They will teach, continue with his/her creative work, and maintain an exemplary public profile. S/he will be a convener and a recognized leader in the field.
Ted Turner Graduate Fellow
Supporting the faculty position will be a graduate fellow who will provide graduate-level research, project support and design a graduate capstone project that addresses a challenging problem in environmental communication.
Ted Turner Planet Forward Symposium
There will be a major public event each year, highlighting bold and creative storytelling about the challenges and opportunities confronting the planet. The event will reflect Ted’s legacy.
News Spotlights
Across the Wards: Diverse Viewpoints on a Common Mission
Last fall, students in George Washington University’s Sustainability Reporting class were sorted into pairs and assigned one of Washington D.C.’s eight wards to cover.
On March 7, 2023, GW held a special event honoring Ted Turner and welcoming John Sutter, the Ted Turner Professor of Environmental Media.
GW Honors Media Pioneer Ted Turner and His Vision to Save the World
GW and luminaries from CNN paid tribute to the trailblazing philanthropist and welcomed John Sutter as inaugural Ted Turner Visiting Professor of Environmental Media.
John Sutter: The Inaugural Ted Turner Visiting Professor of Environmental Media
SMPA is thrilled to welcome John Sutter!
Words From Our Supporters
Dana Bash, BA '93, Anchor & Chief Political Correspondent at CNN
"I am beyond honored to support the Ted Turner Endowment Fund. The notion of 24 hour cable news seems obvious now, but that was hardly the case when he invented it. ... His passion is contagious, and scholarship in his name is the perfect tribute.”
Decker Anstrom, Former CEO, The Weather Channel Companies
"Ted imagined and helped build cable television, and reinvented news and journalism on a global scale. He has now brought his vision and determination to confront the climate crisis — and save our planet."
Char Beales, Media Business Leader, Former SMPA National Council Chair
"GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs is the ideal home for the Ted Turner Endowed Fund. It combines an unparalleled media education program with a major voice in Washington with Ted’s lifelong passion for the environment. Together we will ensure that Ted’s pioneering genius is celebrated and remembered in perpetuity."
Support the Endowment
By Mail
The George Washington University
PO Box 98131
Washington, DC
20077-9756
Online
Make a tax deductible donation.
Over the Phone
Give us a call to discuss how you can contribute: 202-994-3467
Contact Us
For more information about the Ted Turner Endowment, please reach out:
Brendon Smith
Associate Director of Development
GW Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Email Brendon Smith | 202-994-3467