Publication Items

Need Climate Questions? We’ve Got Climate Questions. [1]

Climate change may have made an unexpected appearance at the raucous 2020 presidential debate last night, but it's equally important to quiz state and local candidates on the topic too. The latest TipSheet offers environment and energy journalists a list of 10 key climate change questions to ask in reporting elections in your coverage area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Economy & Business [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Military [10]
Policy [11]
Science [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Need Climate Questions? We’ve Got Climate Questions. [1]
Chase Down Environmental Ballot Measures for State-Level Stories [16]

Although the realities of the pandemic may mean fewer state and local ballot measures in the upcoming election — and the presidential contest is drawing much of the spotlight — they can still be potentially fruitful stories for reporters willing to seek them out. Here are eight top ways to track this year’s environment and energy ballot measures, from the latest Reporter’s Toolbox.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Chase Down Environmental Ballot Measures for State-Level Stories [16]
LNG Transport Proposal Flags Worries Over Rail Hazmat [19]

A Trump administration push to allow trains to carry liquified natural gas raises larger concerns about allowing hazardous materials to be carried around the United States by rail, per the latest TipSheet. Get the latest on the LNG transport plan, along with the backstory about the risks of numerous other rail hazmat, plus story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [20]
Disasters [21]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Transportation [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [14]
Canada [23]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about LNG Transport Proposal Flags Worries Over Rail Hazmat [19]
Bringing Stories Home Under Lockdown, With Remote Video Interviews [24]

They’ve long been a staple of the news business. But now, with the pandemic continuing to keep journalists from their subjects, remote video interviews have become an essential tool. And even newbie video reporters can quickly learn the basics. Science video producer Eli Kintisch shares a quick eight-step remote video setup and some simple tricks of the trade, in this SEJournal how-to.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Agriculture [26]
Air [27]
Biodiversity [28]
Chemicals [20]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [29]
Disasters [21]
Economy & Business [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [30]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Studies [31]
Fish & Fisheries [32]
Food [33]
Forests [34]
Government [7]
Health [35]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Military [10]
Natural Resources [36]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [37]
Other or All [38]
People & Population [39]
Planning & Growth [40]
Policy [11]
Pollution [41]
Science [12]
Technology [42]
Transportation [22]
Waste [43]
Water & Oceans [44]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Alaska and Hawaii [45]
California [46]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [47]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [48]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [49]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [50]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [51]
Northwest (OR WA) [52]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [53]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [54]
International [14]
Canada [23]
Mexico [55]
Africa [56]
Antarctica & Arctic [57]
Asia [58]
Australia & Oceania [59]
Central America & the Caribbean [60]
Europe [61]
Middle East [62]
South America [63]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Bringing Stories Home Under Lockdown, With Remote Video Interviews [24]
Potentially Explosive Fertilizer Could Be Found in Your Community [64]

Ammonium nitrate, the explosive agricultural fertilizer that blew up in Lebanon this month, killing dozens and severely damaging Beirut’s center, is stored by the thousands of tons all over the United States. But regulatory blindspots and secretive information policies mean few know exactly where. Backgrounder reviews the chemical’s oversight regime — and its gaps — and has ideas for reporting from your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [65]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [26]
Chemicals [20]
Disasters [21]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [54]
International [14]
Middle East [62]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Potentially Explosive Fertilizer Could Be Found in Your Community [64]
‘Green Recovery’ Policies an Elusive Promise [66]

As Democratic and Republican parties plan their nominating conventions beginning next week amid a pandemic and a recession, it’s instructive to examine the state of thinking about a “green recovery.” Backgrounder looks at the politicking and policies behind the notion that a massive clean energy plan could be good not just for addressing climate change, but also the economy.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [65]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [14]
Australia & Oceania [59]
Europe [61]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about ‘Green Recovery’ Policies an Elusive Promise [66]
Disaster Aid Sometimes Helps Fund the Next Disaster [67]

As hurricane season gets into full swing, a perpetual paradox reemerges — does disaster aid help or harm? Government financial assistance in a disaster’s wake may seem a boon, but could it just encourage communities to repeat the mistakes of the past? The latest TipSheet explores the question and provides context, reporting resources and story ideas.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [21]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [39]
Planning & Growth [40]
Policy [11]
Water & Oceans [44]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Disaster Aid Sometimes Helps Fund the Next Disaster [67]
Former Public Affairs Officers Push Back on Advanced Industry Reaction, Plus Police Scanner Transparency and Ag-Gag Ruling [68]

When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a press release with favorable industry response to changes in a rule protecting migratory birds — before actually proposing the new rule — a group of former agency officials cried foul. Plus, why encrypted police scanners are a problem and an ag-gag ruling, all in the latest WatchDog opinion column.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [69]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [26]
Biodiversity [28]
Disasters [21]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Wildlife [70]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [50]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [53]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Former Public Affairs Officers Push Back on Advanced Industry Reaction, Plus Police Scanner Transparency and Ag-Gag Ruling [68]
Consumption Advisories Offer Fistful of Fish Tales [71]

With fishing season underway in the United States and Canada, fish consumption advisories are also on the hook. That means potential stories for environmental journalists. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox points you to state-by-state data sources and walks you through how to best explain them to your audience. Plus, a bonus story tip.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [20]
Consumer [29]
Environmental Health [30]
Fish & Fisheries [32]
Food [33]
Government [7]
Health [35]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [36]
Pollution [41]
Water & Oceans [44]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [14]
Canada [23]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Consumption Advisories Offer Fistful of Fish Tales [71]
Using Data Sources To Track Climate-Driven Mayhem at Superfund Sites [72]

Hazardous waste and floodwaters don’t typically mix well together. So when a Michigan dam recently burst, and flooded not just the local community, but also threatened a nearby Superfund site, it prompted Reporter’s Toolbox to look at how environmental journalists could track similar threats in their areas, especially as climate change raises the risks of similar disasters.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [20]
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [21]
Government [7]
Health [35]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [41]
Waste [43]
Water & Oceans [44]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [47]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [53]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [54]
International [14]
Europe [61]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Using Data Sources To Track Climate-Driven Mayhem at Superfund Sites [72]

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