Publication Items

Reporting Innovations Hold Promise for Reporting on Climate Change Amid News Deserts [1]

Slashed news budgets and staff cuts have left many U.S. newsrooms short on time and resources for deep reporting on climate change and other complex topics. But two innovative projects at The Post and Courier in South Carolina — one enriching breaking news stories and the other fostering news outlet cooperation — aim at filling the void. Acclaimed journalist Tony Bartelme explains.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Policy [9]
Pollution [10]
Waste [11]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Reporting Innovations Hold Promise for Reporting on Climate Change Amid News Deserts [1]
A Chance To Widen Public Information About Chemical Hazards [16]

For years, public information about some of the deadliest chemical security risks has been limited. But now that the Biden EPA is exploring the issue, our latest WatchDog opinion column explains why this is such an important open information issue for environmental reporters and other journalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [18]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Justice [19]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
People & Population [21]
Policy [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
International [23]
Asia [24]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about A Chance To Widen Public Information About Chemical Hazards [16]
Covering New IPCC Reports Helps Explain Gravity of Climate Crisis [25]

A new science assessment released this week pinpoints more global warming risks, but also represents reporting challenges to environmental journalists working to cover climate change. Veteran climate journalist Bob Berwyn has the latest news from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and advice for reporters working the climate beat. Plus, links to other climate change reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [26]
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [27]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [19]
Environmental Politics [28]
Environmental Studies [29]
Forests [30]
Government [6]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Planning & Growth [31]
Policy [9]
Science [32]
Transportation [33]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [23]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Covering New IPCC Reports Helps Explain Gravity of Climate Crisis [25]
As Climate Change Brings Extreme Heat Events, Human Health Is a Casualty [34]

With heat waves driven by global warming pounding parts of the western United States this summer, environmental journalists mustn’t overlook the toll on especially vulnerable populations, among them disadvantaged groups, the elderly, those in low-income housing and more. The latest Issue Backgrounder helps reporters understand heat’s health effects, track heat-vulnerable populations and clarifies how communities can prepare and prevent the worst public health impacts.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [35]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [36]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Justice [19]
Environmental Politics [28]
Health [20]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Alaska and Hawaii [38]
California [39]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
International [23]
Canada [41]
Europe [42]
Middle East [43]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about As Climate Change Brings Extreme Heat Events, Human Health Is a Casualty [34]
Reporters Reveal True Toll From Texas Winter Storm, Outages [44]

A reporting team at BuzzFeed used a powerful array of data analysis techniques to arrive at a disturbing conclusion about the wintery devastation in Texas — there were far more deaths than acknowledged. But their investigation didn’t stop there. They tracked down families of the deceased to understand the human toll and pressured government over its accountability. How they got the story for “The Graveyard Doesn’t Lie.”

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [4]
Environmental Politics [28]
Government [6]
Health [20]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Reporters Reveal True Toll From Texas Winter Storm, Outages [44]
Journalists Team Up To Continue Colleagues’ Work Exposing Mining Risks [45]

Environmental journalists around the world sometimes pay for their work with their freedom, safety or even their lives. The Forbidden Stories network continues the reporting of some of those journalists, and a team there recently produced an award-winning collaboration to investigate troubles at mining giants in Central America, South Asia and East Africa. “The Green Blood Project” in this month’s Inside Story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [47]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [48]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [19]
Environmental Politics [28]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [49]
People & Population [21]
Pollution [10]
Waste [11]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
International [23]
Africa [50]
Asia [24]
Central America & the Caribbean [51]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Journalists Team Up To Continue Colleagues’ Work Exposing Mining Risks [45]
Irrigation Districts Are Key to Covering Coming Drought [52]

With megadrought a growing reality, one way into the story is through ubiquitous water management agencies. TipSheet surveys the “waterscape” of these governmental bodies — from local irrigation districts to multi-state regional water compacts — and how focusing on them can yield vital insights for drought stories. Plus, questions to ask and links to reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [26]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [36]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Politics [28]
Fish & Fisheries [54]
Government [6]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Natural Resources [49]
People & Population [21]
Planning & Growth [31]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Irrigation Districts Are Key to Covering Coming Drought [52]
Forest Service Offers Mapping Database on Potential Wildfire Hazards [55]

With a particularly dangerous wildfire season ahead, environmental journalists can better cover the heightened risk with a specialized U.S. Forest Service database. It predicts fire risk using a range of frequently updated variables like amount and condition of fuel, drought and topography, then maps it in high resolution with overlays of human structures and populations. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox has more on the database, and details how to make smart use of it.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [56]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Forests [30]
Journalism & Media [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Forest Service Offers Mapping Database on Potential Wildfire Hazards [55]
Ready for Climate Change-Induced Grid Blackouts Along With Heat Waves? [57]

Climate change can mean doubling down on disasters, such as a combination of widespread power outages with the kind of extreme heat that kills. The latest TipSheet explores why such simultaneous disasters are so dangerous, where they’ve happened already, why they are increasingly likely to happen again and how to prepare to cover them in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [36]
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [27]
Environmental Politics [28]
Health [20]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [7]
Planning & Growth [31]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
California [39]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [58]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [59]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
International [23]
Europe [42]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Ready for Climate Change-Induced Grid Blackouts Along With Heat Waves? [57]
“Routledge Handbook of Environmental Journalism” [60]

While a “Handbook of Environmental Journalism” might initially sound like a scholarly work on environmental journalism, our BookShelf reviewer finds that the volume reads more like an engaging assembly of accessible accounts on the profession from colleagues across the planet. That makes it a rich resource for working journalists ... and anyone else with a passing interest in environmental issues and how they’re covered.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [61]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [27]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Politics [28]
Forests [30]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [7]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [62]
Waste [11]
Wildlife [63]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [64]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [65]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
International [23]
Africa [50]
South America [66]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about “Routledge Handbook of Environmental Journalism” [60]

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