Publication Items

Wild and Scenic Rivers Carry a Raft of Great Stories [1]

Thousands of miles of rivers across the United States are part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and any one of them can help tell some splashy tales of the power of conservation and the wonders of nature. TipSheet dips a toe into the backstory, then offers story ideas and resources to help report on local wild rivers near you.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [3]
Fish & Fisheries [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Water & Oceans [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Wild and Scenic Rivers Carry a Raft of Great Stories [1]
Press Freedom Erosion Continues Apace Under Trump 2.0 [11]

President Donald Trump’s numerous libel suits against news media may be more of a nuisance than a real weapon — albeit one that comes with significant legal bills and other, less tangible costs. But the new WatchDog Opinion column raises a rising press freedom vulnerability that Trump seems happy to exploit: leveraging the increasing media ownership by billionaires and large corporations.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [13]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Press Freedom Erosion Continues Apace Under Trump 2.0 [11]
EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [14]

The enforcement of environmental laws suffered a dramatic collapse during the Trump administration’s first year, several studies have found. Even the most serious violations, typically referred to the Department of Justice, are left unpursued because of DOJ staffing declines. The latest Backgrounder has the details, a look at the administration’s rationale for the decline and the implications for the environment and public health.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [16]
Chemicals [17]
Climate Change [18]
Economy & Business [19]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Politics [3]
Environmental Studies [21]
Government [13]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Policy [23]
Pollution [24]
Waste [25]
Water & Oceans [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [14]
Superfund Under Trump 2.0 — Quick … and Dirty? [26]

Every U.S. state has at least one Superfund site, the worst kind of toxic waste dump. And millions live near them. The latest TipSheet has a look at the state of the decades-old Superfund cleanup program under the Trump administration, and how environmental journalists can turn that into local stories, with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [17]
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [13]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Pollution [24]
Waste [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [27]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Superfund Under Trump 2.0 — Quick … and Dirty? [26]
ANWR Well Is Deep and Dark — But Is It Dry? [28]

Journalists love a secret. And WatchDog Opinion delves into a whopper on the environment beat — the hidden data surrounding a singular test well drilled in one of the most contested ecosystems in the United States. Now that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been reopened for oil leasing by the Trump administration, do the findings even matter? More on the saga.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [13]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Policy [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Alaska and Hawaii [30]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about ANWR Well Is Deep and Dark — But Is It Dry? [28]
Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [31]

Explore our 10th annual Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy, as we scour the beat to identify 15 top stories to put on your radar for 2026. Our updated format for the special report provides a quick read and a broad scope — with insights on climate change and environmental justice, bird and insect declines, data centers and deep sea mining, deregulation and PFAS and much more. Get started here [31].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Agriculture [34]
Air [16]
Biodiversity [35]
Chemicals [17]
Climate Change [18]
Disasters [36]
Economy & Business [19]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Justice [37]
Environmental Politics [3]
Environmental Studies [21]
Fish & Fisheries [4]
Forests [38]
Government [13]
Health [22]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Military [40]
Natural Resources [7]
Policy [23]
Pollution [24]
Science [41]
Technology [42]
Waste [25]
Water & Oceans [8]
Wildlife [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Alaska and Hawaii [30]
California [44]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [45]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [46]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [47]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [48]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [27]
Northwest (OR WA) [49]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [50]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [51]
International [52]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [31]
Citizen Pollution Monitors Face Industry Pushback, Legal Threats [53]

A steep decline in the enforcement of environmental laws means the monitoring of pollution by citizens is more important than ever. But as the latest TipSheet notes, some states have passed laws that severely constrain the use of citizen monitoring or the sharing of findings. Get the backstory, along with top reporting angles and resources for finding monitoring in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Air [16]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Justice [37]
Environmental Politics [3]
Environmental Studies [21]
Government [13]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Pollution [24]
Science [41]
Water & Oceans [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [50]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Citizen Pollution Monitors Face Industry Pushback, Legal Threats [53]
Orphans and Zombies — Reporting on Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Across the Country [54]

For more than a century, oil and gas companies have been drilling — and abandoning — wells across the country, leaving hundreds of thousands to potentially leak pollutants into the air, water and soil. Climate and environment reporter Martha Pskowski looks at how funding and regulatory issues are impacting efforts to identify and plug these wells, and offers resources for drilling into their story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [34]
Air [16]
Climate Change [18]
Economy & Business [19]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Health [20]
Government [13]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Policy [23]
Pollution [24]
Technology [42]
Water & Oceans [8]
Wildlife [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [45]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [46]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [47]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [48]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [51]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Orphans and Zombies — Reporting on Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Across the Country [54]
Drinking Water Database Opens Spigot on Local Stories [56]

Drinking water may be ubiquitous in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s always safe. To report the answer in your community, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox suggests exploring the Safe Drinking Water Information System, a federal government database mandated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Here’s how to use it to identify whether your local systems meet its standards.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [17]
Consumer [58]
Health [22]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Pollution [24]
Water & Oceans [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Drinking Water Database Opens Spigot on Local Stories [56]
Targets on Their Backs … and Ours? Reporting on Immigrant Farmworkers [59]

For years, state-sponsored programs have helped California farmworkers get much-needed access to clean water. But many immigrants now shun these services, afraid of exposure to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. As Circle of Blue intern Anahita Banerjee dug into this story, she discovered that their fear extended to speaking with journalists — and that ICE activities threatened her own safety.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Agriculture [34]
Environmental Justice [37]
Environmental Politics [3]
Food [60]
Government [13]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
People & Population [61]
Water & Oceans [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
California [44]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Targets on Their Backs … and Ours? Reporting on Immigrant Farmworkers [59]

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