Publication Items

Pitching High and Tight — An Independent Journalist Finds Success [1]

In her early days, freelancer Gloria Dickie aimed high, pitching her dream publication first, as well as offering newsier stories and short features instead of long-form. The formula worked, leading to assignments, a book project and a prestigious staff job. Freelance Files Co-Editor Christine Woodside spoke with Dickie about the lessons of a life as an independent. Plus, a BookShelf review [2] of “Eight Bears” by a fellow bear connoisseur.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Wildlife [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [8]
International [9]
Canada [10]
Asia [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Pitching High and Tight — An Independent Journalist Finds Success [1]
Dangerous Inland Flooding in Reporters’ Forecast [13]

While much attention is paid to hurricane flooding along the coasts, recent disasters in the Northeast United States brought home the dangers of flooding inland. The latest TipSheet has the basics, plus more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources for local journalists to prepare for coverage of inland floods.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [15]
Journalism & Media [5]
Planning & Growth [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [18]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Dangerous Inland Flooding in Reporters’ Forecast [13]
‘Orange’ Is the New Data — for Wildfire Smoke [19]

The U.S. air quality alert scale is showing a lot of unhealthy colors this season, from oranges up to unhealthy reds and purples or worse, as smoke from wildfires in Canada periodically drifts across various U.S. regions. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox explores a key database and other resources to help journalists report on the spread of smoky air.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [20]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [21]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Pollution [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [8]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [18]
International [9]
Canada [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about ‘Orange’ Is the New Data — for Wildfire Smoke [19]
Why Nobelists Are Joining the Fight Against Disinformation’s Dangers [24]

A recent gathering of Nobel laureates in Washington, D.C., including Filipina journalist Maria Ressa (pictured, left), highlighted the growing risks of disinformation — including on efforts to combat climate change — but also the rising sense of hope that comes from those who pledge to stand up to its challenge. This month’s WatchDog Opinion column shares a perspective from the event.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Politics [27]
Journalism & Media [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
International [9]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Why Nobelists Are Joining the Fight Against Disinformation’s Dangers [24]
The Community We’ve Long Ignored [28]

Veteran environmental justice reporter Yessenia Funes this week launches “Voices of Environmental Justice,” her new SEJournal column. Each quarterly commentary will focus on spotlighting the perspectives of affected communities that environmental and climate journalists often ignore. For her inaugural entry, with Pride month nearing its end, a look at how climate change and environmental pollution exacerbate the already elevated health risks of LGBTQIA+ people.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Agriculture [30]
Climate Change [4]
Diversity [31]
Environmental Justice [32]
Environmental Politics [27]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
People & Population [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
California [34]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about The Community We’ve Long Ignored [28]
Wildfire Smoke — Now a Local Story in Unaccustomed Places [35]

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 [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [21]
Chemicals [36]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [15]
Forests [37]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Pollution [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [38]
International [9]
Canada [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Wildfire Smoke — Now a Local Story in Unaccustomed Places [35]
Both Sides Now — How Permitting Reform May Affect Fossil Fuel, Clean Energy Industries [39]

It’s a political knot with the potential to tangle the fossil energy industry, the clean energy industry … or both. Environmental journalists looking to better report on the impacts of permitting reform can start with our latest Backgrounder, which explores the issue’s recent history and the competing visions that have stalled changes. There’s also the “backroom problem.” Plus, get a rundown of key actors.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [40]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [42]
Infrastructure [43]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Natural Resources [45]
Policy [46]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Alaska and Hawaii [47]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [48]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [49]
International [9]
Canada [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Both Sides Now — How Permitting Reform May Affect Fossil Fuel, Clean Energy Industries [39]
Watching the Watchers: How Journalistic Teamwork Uncovered Years of Regulatory Failure in Texas [50]

After a massive fire at a Texas petrochemical storage facility, reporters from Public Health Watch and The Texas Tribune worked together to shed light on who was responsible for this disaster and what health threats had been hidden from the public. This behind-the-scenes report from Public Health Watch’s David Leffler and Savanna Strott looks at the challenges the team faced and how they overcame them.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [21]
Chemicals [36]
Disasters [15]
Economy & Business [52]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Health [53]
Environmental Justice [32]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [42]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Pollution [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [54]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Watching the Watchers: How Journalistic Teamwork Uncovered Years of Regulatory Failure in Texas [50]
Pesticide Data Can Ground Food and Farm Stories [55]

A billion pounds of chemicals are used on U.S. crops each year. Designed to protect them, they can also leave residue on foods we eat and enter the waterways we drink from. Reporter’s Toolbox has some key data sources for journalists, whether they’re looking at the big picture or are drilling down locally around issues of pesticide use and human or ecological health.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [20]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [30]
Chemicals [36]
Environmental Health [53]
Food [56]
Government [42]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [5]
Pollution [23]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Pesticide Data Can Ground Food and Farm Stories [55]
Threats to Press Come in Many Forms. Some Are Violent. [57]

Attacks of all kinds on U.S. journalists clearly hamper a free press. And environmental journalists are not spared such aggressions, especially when covering contested places like pipeline construction sites. WatchDog Opinion outlines the problem and explores how journalists might be spared from such violations, including with a prospective law explicitly protecting journalists from assault.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Energy & Fuel [41]
Environmental Politics [27]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Policy [46]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [8]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [38]
International [9]
Canada [10]
South America [58]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Threats to Press Come in Many Forms. Some Are Violent. [57]

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