Publication Items

Ag Census Offers Journalists Acres of Data [1]

The latest data from the five-year USDA agriculture census has specialized features that suggest numerous environmental stories — whether on irrigation, pesticides and fertilizer, renewable energy, conservation or more. There’s even a feature that provides data by congressional district. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox has more on the data source and how to use it smartly for your coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Food [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Ag Census Offers Journalists Acres of Data [1]
Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency [14]

Fast fashion’s lack of sustainability has long been the subject of news media coverage. But now the realities of climate change mean that fashion reporting must be reimagined to include the lived environmental and human rights realities of workers making what we wear, writes contributor Yessenia Funes in the new Voices of Environmental Justice column. Ideas and resources for getting past simplistic fashion industry narratives.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [16]
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [17]
Economy & Business [18]
Environmental Justice [19]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [21]
Policy [22]
Waste [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [24]
Asia [25]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency [14]
Will Zombie Ag-Gag Laws Ever Really Die? [26]

Laws that make undercover journalistic investigations of animal agriculture operations illegal violate the First Amendment, right? Not so clear, laments WatchDog Opinion, which points out that while the Supreme Court appeared to have struck down such laws just last year, it may now revisit the issue. Why it should matter not just to environmental reporters but to all journalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [16]
Agriculture [3]
Environmental Politics [28]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [29]
Policy [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [30]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [31]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [32]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Will Zombie Ag-Gag Laws Ever Really Die? [26]
Philly Steaks Out New Ground [33]

It just wouldn’t be the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference recap without the waggish tales of SEJ’s resident wit, David Helvarg, who once again this year skewers the lot of us, sparing not a jot of our five days in Philadelphia. Read on and prepare to snicker.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [34]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [35]
Economy & Business [18]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [28]
Food [8]
Government [36]
Health [20]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [38]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [39]
Policy [22]
Pollution [10]
Technology [40]
Transportation [41]
Waste [23]
Water & Oceans [11]
Wildlife [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [43]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Philly Steaks Out New Ground [33]
Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [44]

Top-flight regional reporting (and data analysis) that explored inequities between Black and white communities around Baltimore, Maryland, yielded journalist Scott Dance a wide range of stories — and a first-place prize in the most recent awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists. Dance, now on the climate desk for The Washington Post shares insights from the beat in the new Inside Story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Justice [19]
Fish & Fisheries [46]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [21]
Planning & Growth [47]
Policy [22]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [43]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [44]
Finding Your Way Through the Forest of Forest Data [48]

Forests are full of environmental stories, from timber sales and wildlife habitat to climate change and hunting. And for reporters in search of resources to report them, the U.S. Forest Service offers an immense array of datasets to match the hundreds of millions of acres of land under its domain. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox gets you started on using the vast Forest Service data collection.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Health [7]
Forests [49]
Government [36]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [38]
Policy [22]
Wildlife [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Finding Your Way Through the Forest of Forest Data [48]
Six Ways To Cover the Environmental Impacts of Animal Agriculture [50]

Animal agriculture is a massive industry with a vast environmental footprint, so there are plenty of reporting opportunities for journalists on the “eat beat.” In the second of two parts [51], following last week’s examination of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions, food-and-climate journalist Jenny Splitter serves up a variety of story ideas and information sources, plus some thoughts on solutions journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [16]
Agriculture [3]
Air [53]
Biodiversity [54]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [17]
Economy & Business [18]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [19]
Environmental Politics [28]
Environmental Studies [55]
Food [8]
Forests [49]
Government [36]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [10]
Waste [23]
Water & Oceans [11]
Wildlife [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [24]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Six Ways To Cover the Environmental Impacts of Animal Agriculture [50]
Eat Local for Climate’s Sake? No, Eat Less Meat [51]

Many people who want to reduce their carbon footprint consider the climate impacts of diet, but their efforts may be misdirected. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, it turns out what we eat is often more important than where it comes from. Sentient Media’s Jenny Splitter unpacks the locavore myth and explains methane burps, carbon opportunity costs and more. First of two parts [50].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [16]
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [17]
Economy & Business [18]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [28]
Environmental Studies [55]
Food [8]
Forests [49]
Government [36]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [10]
Transportation [41]
Waste [23]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [24]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Eat Local for Climate’s Sake? No, Eat Less Meat [51]
On the Hunt To Know More About Chronic Wasting Disease [56]

A relative of mad cow disease is working its way across the population of deer and related cervids in North America. And the latest TipSheet cautions that it remains unclear whether this chronic wasting disease can make the leap to humans, such as millions of deer and elk hunters. What environmental journalists need to know about possible risks and precautions.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Consumer [17]
Environmental Health [7]
Food [8]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [9]
Wildlife [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [24]
Canada [58]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about On the Hunt To Know More About Chronic Wasting Disease [56]
Environmental Digital Storytelling — A Best-in-Show Sampler [59]

As part of its periodic survey of the compelling work by digital journalists using data and multimedia, Reporter’s Toolbox looks at some favorite projects in the last year or so. On the list are granular maps and spinning globes, compelling photo essays and clickable storytelling. But the heart of the best digital journalism, Toolbox reminds us, is that it matters. And these do.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Diversity [60]
Environmental Justice [19]
Fish & Fisheries [46]
Food [8]
Health [20]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [38]
People & Population [21]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [61]
International [24]
Canada [58]
Africa [62]
Asia [25]
Europe [63]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Environmental Digital Storytelling — A Best-in-Show Sampler [59]

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