Publication Items

Parks Post-Coronavirus Reopening a Political Football? [1]

As the United States restarts fitfully following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, one source of controversy — and of numerous local or regional environmental stories — is what to do at the nation’s park system. The latest TipSheet explains why public access to these national treasures is so contentious, then provides numerous story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Environmental Politics [4]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Natural Resources [9]
People & Population [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Parks Post-Coronavirus Reopening a Political Football? [1]
SEJ: Supporting Journalism, Journalists and the Organization During Coronavirus [13]

The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on….everything. Right when the public needs accurate information the most, journalism has been hit particularly hard. Yet environmental journalism remains essential, especially since the pandemic continues as we enter hurricane, cyclone and wildfire season, and an atmosphere of deregulation persists. Yet impacts on publications are translating to staffing cuts, furloughs and slashed freelance budgets. Here’s a brief update on all SEJ is doing to stay ahead of the impacts, from SEJ President Meera Subramanian.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ Presidents Report [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Journalism & Media [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
International [15]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about SEJ: Supporting Journalism, Journalists and the Organization During Coronavirus [13]
“Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution” [16]

To better grasp how COVID-19 is linked to the persistent problem of polluted air, our latest BookShelf review recommends going back to a prescient text, “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution.” While the volume predates the pandemic, it makes painfully clear why, during this crisis, healthy air matters more than ever.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [18]
Disasters [3]
Health [6]
Laws & Regulations [8]
People & Population [10]
Pollution [19]
Science [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
International [15]
Asia [21]
Europe [22]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution” [16]
No Drought of Data, As Climate Dries U.S. [23]

With drought can come fire, and with megadrought, routine reporting becomes disaster headlines. Reporter’s Toolbox gets you to the bottom of the drought data sources that help determine what’s ahead for your region, sorting through the complicated set of federal drought monitoring agencies and resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [25]
Climate Change [26]
Disasters [3]
Environmental Studies [27]
Government [5]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [9]
Science [20]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [29]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [30]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [31]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [32]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [33]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about No Drought of Data, As Climate Dries U.S. [23]
NEPA Rollback, EPA Science Rules Threaten Transparency; Plus, Pandemic Press Restrictions? [34]

A long-standing law designed to protect public information about environmental impacts is facing an unfavorable overhaul, while a proposal dictating how EPA uses scientific findings in its rulings is nearing finalization. WatchDog has those items, plus how states are using the COVID-19 pandemic to restrict press and more.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [35]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [36]
Climate Change [26]
Disasters [3]
Economy & Business [37]
Environmental Politics [4]
Government [5]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Policy [38]
Science [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about NEPA Rollback, EPA Science Rules Threaten Transparency; Plus, Pandemic Press Restrictions? [34]
Could Combined Sewer Overflows Be a COVID-19 Threat? [39]

For reporters investigating the coronavirus-environment connection, you might look to the untreated sewage that can sometimes overflow municipal systems during wet weather, possibly bringing the novel pathogen to beaches and other places where people can get sick from it. The latest TipSheet takes a look at the reality, plus provides story ideas and reporter resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Environmental Health [40]
Environmental Studies [27]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
People & Population [10]
Pollution [19]
Waste [41]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [29]
International [15]
Europe [22]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Could Combined Sewer Overflows Be a COVID-19 Threat? [39]
COVID-19 Data Challenges Can Spark Better Journalism [42]

Reporting the COVID-19 pandemic may mean telling environmental stories, while using the best data to do it. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox spotlights three key resources to capture a detailed look at where and who the coronavirus is striking, and how it connects to the environment: a dashboard, an ambitious data platform and an unheralded tool for uncovering environmental injustice.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Environmental Health [40]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about COVID-19 Data Challenges Can Spark Better Journalism [42]
Ignoring COVID-19 Link, EPA Leaves Lax Soot Standard in Place [43]

As researchers are finding that soot and other forms of fine particulates in the air may actually make people more vulnerable to the coronavirus, the EPA decided earlier this month against tightening related standards under the Clean Air Act. The latest TipSheet explains why the decision matters, provides deeper context and offers story ideas and resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [18]
Disasters [3]
Environmental Health [40]
Environmental Politics [4]
Environmental Studies [27]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
People & Population [10]
Policy [38]
Pollution [19]
Science [20]
Transportation [44]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Ignoring COVID-19 Link, EPA Leaves Lax Soot Standard in Place [43]
When the Crisis Was Immense, SEJ Award-Winner Went Narrow [45]

How do you gain perspective on a widespread public health disaster? Award-winning reporter Apoorva Mandavilli shares valuable lessons on using a small lens to cover a big story — no, not COVID-19, but the deadly 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India. And as she explains in this Inside Story Q&A, this decades-old story never really went away in the first place.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [36]
Air [18]
Chemicals [47]
Disasters [3]
Environmental Health [40]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [10]
Pollution [19]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
International [15]
Asia [21]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about When the Crisis Was Immense, SEJ Award-Winner Went Narrow [45]
Go-To Books for Understanding and Surviving a Pandemic [48]

If you’re looking for perspective in your reporting connected with the coronavirus story, it might help to turn to the extensive library of non-fiction books offering insight into disease and epidemics. Our own Bob Wyss offers a helping hand, with a select list of the most useful texts. Plus, links to resource lists for many more, in the latest BookShelf.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Environmental Health [40]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [10]
Science [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [29]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [30]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [49]
International [15]
Central America & the Caribbean [50]
Europe [22]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Go-To Books for Understanding and Surviving a Pandemic [48]

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