Publication Items

Neither Pandemic Nor Politics Derailed Grantee’s Trophy Hunting Story [1]

When freelancer Rachel Nuwer decided to tackle a controversial story about trophy hunting and wildlife conservation she confronted not only tricky logistics and demanding field work, but last-minute publication conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic. But with a grant and an understanding editor, she got her clip and a new commitment to continue covering similarly challenging topics. Nuwer shares her experience in the new FEJ StoryLog.

SEJ Publication Types:
FEJ StoryLog [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Wildlife [9]
Region:
International [10]
Africa [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Neither Pandemic Nor Politics Derailed Grantee’s Trophy Hunting Story [1]
U.S. Offshore Wind May Not Stay Becalmed for Long [13]

While the first offshore wind turbine started sending power into the U.S. grid just last month, and the renewable power source has enthusiastic support from the Biden administration, the industry has been slowed by politics, high interest rates and supply chain problems. But the latest Issue Backgrounder explores why offshore wind can be expected to succeed.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [15]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Fish & Fisheries [17]
Government [18]
Infrastructure [19]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Natural Resources [21]
Policy [22]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [25]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about U.S. Offshore Wind May Not Stay Becalmed for Long [13]
Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [26]

Nature-based climate solutions have become a much-talked-of topic, one that journalist Gabriel Popkin turned into a loose beat through which to explore the complicated realities beyond some easy narratives. The resulting stories were published widely to high praise, and in the latest Inside Story Q&A, Popkin spoke about his efforts and offered up five critical factors for producing original, impactful journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Climate Change [15]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [29]
Environmental Studies [30]
Forests [31]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [21]
Planning & Growth [32]
Policy [22]
Science [33]
Technology [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [35]
International [10]
Europe [36]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [26]
Between the Lines — Author Explores Experience of Living Through Climate Change [37]

To make climate change less abstract and more direct, writer Madeline Ostrander traveled the country to speak to those living with its impacts in the places they call home. In a BookShelf “Between the Lines” Q&A, Ostrander discusses her resulting book, “At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth,” and addresses the lenses she used, the characters she portrayed and the surprises she encountered.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Climate Change [15]
Disasters [39]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Justice [29]
Environmental Politics [7]
Forests [31]
Health [40]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [41]
Policy [22]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [42]
Science [33]
Wildlife [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Alaska and Hawaii [43]
California [44]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [45]
International [10]
Canada [46]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Between the Lines — Author Explores Experience of Living Through Climate Change [37]
Reemerging Wetlands Controversy Brings Local Angles [47]

Wetlands provide a wide array of ecological and societal benefits. But in the United States, they also represent a morass of conflicting views going back decades on how best to regulate them. Now a recent Supreme Court ruling and proposed federal rules are the source of new discord. The latest TipSheet explores how best to cover the wetlands controversy for your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Biodiversity [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Fish & Fisheries [17]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Natural Resources [21]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Reemerging Wetlands Controversy Brings Local Angles [47]
Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [49]

In our annual look-ahead on the environment and energy beat in 2024, we see a bumpy ride on global climate change talks coupled with more climate-driven disasters, even amid the evolving energy transition. And we see possible risks to ocean life from deep sea mining and continuing risks to human life from pollution of air, water and land. Insights in our overview [49] and our full “2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy [50]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [52]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [53]
Climate Change [15]
Disasters [39]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [29]
Environmental Politics [7]
Forests [31]
Government [18]
Health [40]
Infrastructure [19]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Natural Resources [21]
Policy [22]
Pollution [54]
Transportation [55]
Waste [56]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [49]
Covering Food Systems — The Next Climate Action Battleground [57]

Freelance food systems reporter Thin Lei Win believes that if the world doesn’t change the way it produces, processes, transports, consumes and discards food, climate change will worsen and hunger levels will spike. But she also worries that powerful interests want to keep the status quo and cites parallels with the tobacco and fossil fuel industries. More in Freelance Files, including places for freelancers to pitch climate-food stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Climate Change [15]
Consumer [59]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Food [60]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [41]
Policy [22]
Pollution [54]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Covering Food Systems — The Next Climate Action Battleground [57]
Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [61]

Reporting on interconnected ecosystems lends itself to better environmental stories, and so tracing how water moves across landscapes, communities, industries and regulatory schemes can help the public connect the dots. That’s how Annie Ropeik, who helps run the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, sees the watershed beat. She shares expert views and offers insights for environment journalists to use in their reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [62]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [28]
Climate Change [15]
Diversity [63]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [29]
Environmental Politics [7]
Environmental Studies [30]
Government [18]
Health [40]
Infrastructure [19]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Natural Resources [21]
Planning & Growth [32]
Policy [22]
Pollution [54]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [64]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [35]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [65]
Northwest (OR WA) [66]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [45]
International [10]
Canada [46]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [61]
Seabed Mining May Dredge Up Real Minerals, Fishy Worries in 2024 [67]

The mining of the ocean floor has stirred up significant debate, much of which clouds the realities of whether and to what degree it would cause ecological harm to one of the world’s greatest resources. This week’s TipSheet looks more closely at the controversy, which may well come to a head in the coming year. The latest entry in SEJournal’s 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment and Energy.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [15]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Fish & Fisheries [17]
Food [60]
Government [18]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Natural Resources [21]
Policy [22]
Pollution [54]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Seabed Mining May Dredge Up Real Minerals, Fishy Worries in 2024 [67]
High-Risk Reporting Yields Results on Palm Oil Investigation [68]

The devastation caused by the Amazonian palm oil industry was at the heart of an investigation by Mongabay reporter Karla Mendes. But first she had to face hostile sources, intransigent regulators and a robbery attempt. Ultimately, the project not only won a reporting prize from the Society of Environmental Journalists but brought global awareness and government action. Her experience, in Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Chemicals [53]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [29]
Environmental Politics [7]
Food [60]
Forests [31]
Government [18]
Health [40]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [21]
People & Population [41]
Pollution [54]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
International [10]
South America [69]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about High-Risk Reporting Yields Results on Palm Oil Investigation [68]

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