Publication Items

In Their Own Words — Story Insights From SEJ’s 2023 Award Winners [1]

When Inside Story co-editor Rocky Kistner reviewed video statements from first-place winners of the Society of Environmental Journalists 2023 reporting awards, he found a series of striking insights into the work of environmental journalism. From environment as a true crime story and going beyond the headlines, to covering communities at risk and through powerful interests, a look at nine highly effective approaches to telling environmental stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Infrastructure [14]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [16]
People & Population [17]
Policy [18]
Pollution [19]
Waste [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
California [24]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [25]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [26]
International [27]
Africa [28]
South America [29]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about In Their Own Words — Story Insights From SEJ’s 2023 Award Winners [1]
‘Carbon Colonialism’ Details the Exporting of Degradation, Climate Collapse [31]

The climate change debate is often so focused on fossil fuels and mining that it ignores impacts in economic, political, neo-colonial and social terms, writes BookShelf’s Melody Kemp in her review of “Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown.” Why concepts like corporate social responsibility do little to stem the losses that come with such development.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [34]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Forests [11]
Health [13]
Natural Resources [16]
People & Population [17]
Policy [18]
Pollution [19]
Region:
International [27]
Asia [35]
Europe [36]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about ‘Carbon Colonialism’ Details the Exporting of Degradation, Climate Collapse [31]
Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [37]

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 [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [38]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Studies [39]
Forests [11]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [16]
Planning & Growth [40]
Policy [18]
Science [41]
Technology [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [43]
International [27]
Europe [36]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [37]
Between the Lines — Author Explores Experience of Living Through Climate Change [44]

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 [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [45]
Economy & Business [6]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Forests [11]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
People & Population [17]
Policy [18]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [46]
Science [41]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Alaska and Hawaii [47]
California [24]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
International [27]
Canada [49]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Between the Lines — Author Explores Experience of Living Through Climate Change [44]
Gathering Offers Sobering Look Ahead at 2024, But With Glimmers of Hope [50]

Top environmental journalists and others at the Society of Environmental Journalists annual “Journalists’ Guide to Environment and Energy” program foresee some challenging realities to cover in 2024, most notably with the ongoing impacts of climate change. Bright signs emerged as well. Read our take, watch the event video [51] and visit our full “2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [52]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [54]
Biodiversity [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [45]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Fish & Fisheries [55]
Forests [11]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [16]
People & Population [17]
Policy [18]
Pollution [19]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Alaska and Hawaii [47]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [56]
International [27]
South America [29]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Gathering Offers Sobering Look Ahead at 2024, But With Glimmers of Hope [50]
Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [57]

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 [57] and our full “2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy [52]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [54]
Biodiversity [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [45]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Infrastructure [14]
Laws & Regulations [59]
Natural Resources [16]
Policy [18]
Pollution [19]
Transportation [60]
Waste [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
International [27]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [57]
High-Risk Reporting Yields Results on Palm Oil Investigation [61]

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 [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [38]
Chemicals [4]
Economy & Business [6]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Food [62]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [16]
People & Population [17]
Pollution [19]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
International [27]
South America [29]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about High-Risk Reporting Yields Results on Palm Oil Investigation [61]
Top Data Sources Can Help Cover the Larger Wildfire Story [63]

In the aftermath of breaking wildfire news, when environmental journalists are looking to tell the bigger picture story, there are myriad resources that provide data and insight. To help you sort through it all, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox scans eight powerful data portals that provide everything from real-time tracking and satellite data to risk analysis and health impacts.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [64]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [54]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [45]
Environmental Health [8]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Top Data Sources Can Help Cover the Larger Wildfire Story [63]
Wildfire Smoke — Now a Local Story in Unaccustomed Places [65]

The harms of air pollutants created by wildfires are clear. What’s lost in the haze, though, is that wildfire smoke can carry those pollutants vast distances, threatening communities that are unfamiliar with the risks. The latest TipSheet explains the dangers and how far-flung wildfire smoke travels, then offers a dozen story ideas plus reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [66]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [54]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [45]
Forests [11]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Pollution [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [67]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
International [27]
Canada [49]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Wildfire Smoke — Now a Local Story in Unaccustomed Places [65]
Whether Wetlands or Blacktop, Land Cover Database Provides Foundation for Environmental Reporting [68]

For journalists looking to understand the condition of U.S. rangeland, forests or urban pavement, a high-quality government dataset collected via Landsat can help. And for data geeks who want to go a step further and illuminate human impacts on the environment, mapping overlays on the Landsat data can do the trick. Find out more in the new Reporter’s Toolbox.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [64]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [38]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Studies [39]
Forests [11]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [16]
Science [41]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [30]
- Read more about Whether Wetlands or Blacktop, Land Cover Database Provides Foundation for Environmental Reporting [68]

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