Sag Harbor Journalist Karl Grossman to Be Honored

East End environmental advocates are planning to honor longtime Long Island investigative journalist and professor of journalism Karl Grossman during a ceremony in his hometown of Sag Harbor next month.

Grossman got his start in journalism in the 1970s at the then-daily Long Island Press, where he won the coveted George Polk Award for his reporting on an unscrupulous sand mine excavation, and went on to found the Press Club of Long Island, the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. His work continues to appear in local and national media outlets today, including an occasional byline in Dan’s Papers. His work frequently sheds new light on environmental issues.

“Karl Grossman’s uncompromising dedication to public awareness about the critical and sometimes unscrupulous influences shaping our most consequential environmental decisions has made him an exceptional journalist and passionate teacher,” said Bob DeLuca, president of the Group for the East End. “His work has produced real-word change — from nuclear power to protecting our bays and landscapes. Karl is an advocate’s advocate, and we honor his exceptional work.”

Former New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) will emcee the event, which will be hosted by EnviroVideo, the production arm of Envision Environmental Media Center, which broadcasts programs hosted by Grossman that run on nearly 200 cable TV systems in 40 states.

“From Robert Moses’ Fire Island highway folly to the Shoreham nuclear debacle, Karl Grossman has led the way in environmental reporting for decades,” said Kevin McAllister, founding president of Defend H20, a Sag Harbor-based nonprofit environmental group. “His fearless voice pushed Suffolk County toward essential reforms to protect drinking water and our bays. Karl’s influence continues to guide Long Island’s environmental future.”

The event is scheduled for 1:30–4 p.m. Nov. 15 at Sag Harbor Cinema, located at 90 Main Street in Sag Harbor. It will include food and a cash bar. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased online at gofund.me/b755ea208

“I am thrilled to be honored! I have devoted my life to journalism,” Grossman said. “Having just retired as a full professor at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, where my courses every semester have included Investigative Reporting and also Environmental Journalism, I’ve taught thousands of students, many who have carried on with the so-needed — especially in in these times — motto and call of the Cleveland Press, where at 18 an internship during college inspired me to go into journalism: “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.” Receiving this tribute for my lifelong work is a joy.”