Publication Items

Covering Indigenous Communities — Tips for Non-Native Journalists [1]

Non-Indigenous journalists may think they’re doing “marginalized” Indigenous communities a favor by covering them, but their coverage is too often extractive and riddled with racist tropes. Contributor Valerie Vande Panne offers insights and advice for avoiding these pitfalls. Seeking permission, listening, sharing and respecting are all critical tools for the job.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Diversity [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [12]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
International [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Covering Indigenous Communities — Tips for Non-Native Journalists [1]
SEJ Panel Gauges Issues in the Works in the U.S. West [16]

As part of our 2023 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment special report, we’ve got highlights from last week’s reporter panel on the year ahead, led by #SEJ2023 conference co-chair Tom Michael (pictured, left). The focus was largely on the U.S. West, where challenges abound over issues like equitable siting of renewable energy infrastructure, regulating natural gas, managing wildfires and addressing the health consequences of climate-driven heat waves. Read our account [16], plus check out the full 2023 Guide [17].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Air [20]
Biodiversity [21]
Climate Change [22]
Disasters [23]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Fish & Fisheries [28]
Food [29]
Forests [30]
Government [6]
Health [31]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [33]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [34]
Policy [35]
Pollution [36]
Water & Oceans [37]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
California [39]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Northwest (OR WA) [41]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about SEJ Panel Gauges Issues in the Works in the U.S. West [16]
Water-Sharing in the West: An Urgent and Complicated Environmental Story [42]

Water has always been a precious commodity in the western states. Now, with rapid population growth and a drying climate, the way this resource is shared and distributed is becoming more contentious across the region. Freelance journalist Jennifer Oldham talks about the tensions between supply and demand and how to drill down into water rights laws and policies.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Climate Change [22]
Consumer [43]
Economy & Business [24]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [6]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Natural Resources [33]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [34]
Policy [35]
Technology [45]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
California [39]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Water-Sharing in the West: An Urgent and Complicated Environmental Story [42]
Collaborative Journalism Project Reveals Inequities in Escaping Climate Change Hazards [46]

When U.S. communities become unlivable due to climate change impacts, can residents count on government relocation assistance — and are those most in need of help actually getting it? Those questions kickstarted a year-long investigation led by three high-powered journalism organizations. Now they’re sharing their reporting resources toolkit and inviting other journalists to widen the coverage with more local stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [22]
Disasters [23]
Diversity [4]
Economy & Business [24]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [6]
Health [31]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [44]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [34]
Policy [35]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [39]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [47]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [48]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [12]
Northwest (OR WA) [41]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [49]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Collaborative Journalism Project Reveals Inequities in Escaping Climate Change Hazards [46]
Journalism Industry Program Supports Reporting on Workers — and Work — in a Warming World [50]

As the economic impacts of climate change intensify, reporting on how individuals are affected, particularly in the Global South, is lagging. Veteran journalist Christine Spolar at The Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting details a new initiative to encourage journalists to fill this gap. The story of recent grantees Bhasker Tripathi and Susan Schulman, who have tracked job losses and migrations tied to climate change in India and Iraq.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [19]
Climate Change [22]
Disasters [23]
Economy & Business [24]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Food [29]
Government [6]
Health [31]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Policy [35]
Technology [45]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [14]
Africa [51]
Asia [52]
Middle East [53]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Journalism Industry Program Supports Reporting on Workers — and Work — in a Warming World [50]
Extreme Rainfall Offers Journalists a Deluge of Environment, Climate Stories [54]

The increased frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation presents environmental reporters with challenging coverage of flooding, property damage, insurance shortfalls and risk to human life, as well as about the climate change driving the downpours. The latest TipSheet offers context, story ideas and resources to cover such big storms in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [22]
Disasters [23]
Government [6]
Health [31]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [44]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [34]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [49]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Extreme Rainfall Offers Journalists a Deluge of Environment, Climate Stories [54]
Reporting on Storm Chasing’s ‘Human Side’ Hints at Climate’s Future [56]

Writer Noah Gallagher Shannon followed scientists into the heart of the megastorms ravaging an agricultural region in Argentina, and in the process learned not just about their high-risk fieldwork and what these massive thunderstorms might tell us about the storms of the future in the United States, but also their impact on affected communities. Find out about his reporting experience in this Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Climate Change [22]
Disasters [23]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Studies [58]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Science [59]
Region:
International [14]
South America [60]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Reporting on Storm Chasing’s ‘Human Side’ Hints at Climate’s Future [56]
Documentary Tells of Human, Environmental Toll of Unexploded Ordnance [61]

A film by reporting duo Jerry Redfern and Karen Coates — supported by a grant from the Society of Environmental Journalists — shows the ongoing human and environmental harm of the unexploded U.S. bombs and other ordnance dropped on Southeast Asian villages during the Vietnam War. “Eternal Harvest,” which builds on their earlier book on the topic, was made painstakingly over years, and in the latest FEJ StoryLog, the couple explains their process and storytelling approach.

SEJ Publication Types:
FEJ StoryLog [62]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Environmental Justice [5]
Health [31]
Journalism & Media [7]
Military [63]
People & Population [8]
Region:
International [14]
Asia [52]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Documentary Tells of Human, Environmental Toll of Unexploded Ordnance [61]
How a Distant Chapter in Spice Trade Foretells Today’s Climate Chaos [64]

When Europeans colonized remote Indonesian islands centuries ago to dominate the trade in nutmeg and cloves, they were repeating a pattern of domination of peoples and nature that author Amitav Ghosh argues in his latest book has brought us to the present-day environmental crisis. BookShelf reviewer Melody Kemp offers praise for the book’s strong narrative qualities and incisive historical analysis.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [65]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Climate Change [22]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Food [29]
Natural Resources [33]
People & Population [8]
Policy [35]
Region:
International [14]
Asia [52]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about How a Distant Chapter in Spice Trade Foretells Today’s Climate Chaos [64]
Environmental Reporting Through an Indigenous Perspective [66]

Indigenous communities that have tried to live in balance with nature have seen their practices largely ignored. But now many have turned to them for guidance. As part of a special initiative from the Society of Environmental Journalists on covering climate solutions, we offer a tipsheet from journalist Brian Bull on reporting on how Indigenous people use nature-based environmental solutions. Also, check out additional resources [67] and watch video from an earlier webinar [68].

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [69]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [19]
Air [20]
Biodiversity [21]
Climate Change [22]
Diversity [4]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Fish & Fisheries [28]
Food [29]
Forests [30]
Government [6]
Health [31]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [33]
People & Population [8]
Policy [35]
Pollution [36]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [9]
Water & Oceans [37]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Northwest (OR WA) [41]
International [14]
Canada [70]
Australia & Oceania [71]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Environmental Reporting Through an Indigenous Perspective [66]

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