SEJ Presidents Report

The quarterly SEJ President's Report in SEJournal normally examines an issue important to the future health of the Society of Environmental Journalists and what you as a member might do about it. This time, in the just-released Winter 2015 issue, Jeff Burnside's report examines a different set of responsibilities: whether journalism is asleep at the wheel in failing to sufficiently cover a looming, irreversible environmental issue. Our most iconic and beloved wild species are now on the precipice of extinction, functionally if not literally.

Busy people know how to get things done. So, when I suggest that you consider running for a seat on the board of directors of the Society of Environmental Journalists, your first reaction (“I’m far too busy!”) can be quickly countered: Busy people are known for managing their time. Read more from SEJ President Jeff Burnside.

In this excerpt from the latest issue of SEJournal, SEJ president Jeff Burnside reflects on the power and value of SEJ members, shares stats that'll make you proud and offers easy ways for you to help grow our membership — win-win all around.

In this last column of his SEJ presidency, Don Hopey addresses the environment beat's necessity and SEJ’s role in it by focusing on two events, one just past, the other approaching quickly.

SEJ President Don Hopey explains his glass-half-full look at the maturing of the environment beat and its growing importance in everyday life.

SEJ President Don Hopey, after seeing the movie “Gravity,” likened reporters to astronauts in the film – out there all alone, a journalistic generation lost in space. But we are doing good work – both on our jobs and in our organization.

People care about the information they get. But the public isn’t getting what it needs from federal and state agencies where, during crisis events and day-to-day operations, agencies work harder at controlling the information that reaches the public than they do at gathering and making it available. Read more from SEJ President Don Hopey.

SEJ returns to Chattanooga, Oct. 2-6, for its 23rd annual conference, this time building on and highlighting the city's sustainability theme, which has entered its second generation and garnered worldwide recognition. SEJ President Don Hopey explains.

SEJ President Don Hopey reminds us it’s good to remember that environmental journalism can play an important role in digging out the information an increasingly distracted public needs to make tough policy decisions about their environment and health.

SEJ President Don Hopey passes along some results from SEJ’s fall 2012 member survey, and also an update on the board’s just-launched review of our organization’s programs and services, an effort we are calling, not without some hope (or is it hype?) — “SEJ 3.0.”