Draft:Jake Frederico

Jake Frederico
Born	(1999-03-03) March 3, 1999 Voorhees, New Jersey
Nationality	American
Education	St. Joseph Academy (New Jersey)
Alma mater	Florida International University
Occupation(s)	Reporter, Photographer
Employer	Arizona Republic

Jake Frederico (born March 3, 1999) is an award-winning American climate journalist and photographer who works for the Arizona Republic, the largest newspaper of the state which it shares its name with.. His work has mainly focused on the impacts of climate change on public health, ecological restoration, climate policy, and extreme weather.

Early life and education

Frederico was born in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Hammonton, New Jersey. He attributes his passion for the environment and advancing climate knowledge to his upbringing in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and proximity to the Jersey Shore. His first job was on his grandfather's blueberry farm, where he worked in the packing house at age 13.

He attended St. Joseph Academy, formerly St. Joseph High School, from which he graduated in 2017. At age 18, Frederico moved to Miami, Florida to pursue a degree in Journalism, graduating from the honors college at Florida International University. During his senior year he received a scholarship from the Aspen Institute to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival, a multi-day event addressing a changing climate, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Personal Life

Frederico was a Miami Beach resident for years, before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona for work.

Reporting Career

Frederico began his reporting career as a student journalist in South Florida. His first-ever story, which he authored for a school project, was picked up and published by the Miami Herald. He then began reporting on environmental issues in Florida and beyond. He was the first to report that Miami beach Mayor, Dan Gelber, and other city officials were not enforcing a resolution to ban plastic on city beaches. His beat later evolved into covering the Atlantic Hurricane Season, where he reported alongside of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on hurricane patterns, storm surge, and sea level rise.

In the summer of 2022, he was selected as a Nina Mason Pulliam Environment Fellow, to report on environmental issues at the Arizona Republic. There, he extensively covered environmental and climate issues in Arizona, and the Western United States.

During the 2022 election, Frederico traveled to the states Southern border near Mexico, where he covered the battle over groundwater rights in the region. Two ballot-led initiatives in Cochise County and La Paz aimed to secure water protections in an area omitted from the state's 1980 Groundwater Management Act, with one measure in the Douglas Basin, being approved by voters. He reported on out-of-state buyers, including dairy and nut farms, purchasing cheap swaths of land in the area, to pump water unregulated, amid a historic megadrought. His reporting on the issue was championed by grassroots organization, Arizona Water Defenders, and by local and state representatives for helping secure protections for the area.

Frederico also reported on the Colorado River, endangered species, the effects of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, among other issues. His reporting on the impact of building codes on the electric vehicle transition was shared by United States Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, on Twitter, stating she would work with the United States Department of Transportation to "make sure state and local govs have the resources they need" to expand clean infrastructure.

In the summer of 2023, Frederico led coverage on the historic heat that Maricopa County was experiencing. He worked closely with the National Weather Service, to report on heat trends and local records. He was the first to report on the significance of the heat streak, then a 10 day streak of temperatures reaching 110 degrees F or higher, which stretched for 31 days, lasting the entire month of July. Frederico's series on the impacts of the extreme heat on the region also highlighted protections for outdoor workers and calls from local, state, and federal leaders on FEMAto classify heat as a natural disaster.

Photography

Frederico began shooting photos at a young age and was a member of his high school's yearbook committee. Much of his earliest photos center around nature, wildlife, and farming in New Jersey.

Frederico shoots much of the photos that accompany his work as a reporter, including a series documenting the Backbone Fire, a wildfire that destroyed parts of the Coconino and Tonto National Forest. . Other photo series include "Inhabiting a Dying River," a series highlighting environmental impacts on the Everglades National Park, as well the "Philadelphia Protest of 2020," , where Frederico spent three days among protestors and police at the George Floyd Protests

One of Frederico's photos, taken on a farm in Hammonton, was published by Smithsonian Magazine, as an honorable mention for their 17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest.

Awards

In 2022, Frederico was honored by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, at their "Voces Del Periodismo" ceremony. His story, "The High Environmental Cost of Palm-Oil Use", won the highest honor of the evening; best written reporting of 2022.

Influences

Frederico says his passion for the environment and wildlife was heavily influenced by watching Steve Irwin on the Animal Planet, as a child. He also acknowledges his admiration for Jane Goodall as a steward for environmental protection.

External links

• Profile at AZCentral website.
• Personal website