Publication Items

Before You Cover That Pipeline Protest, Check the Law [1]

At least 16 states currently have critical infrastructure anti-protest laws that could sweep up journalists on the scene, reports the latest TipSheet. The laws, which more states are considering, apply to pipelines, but sometimes other facilities that impact the environment too, like powerlines, dams, port facilities and refineries. How to keep track and avoid going to jail.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Infrastructure [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [13]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [16]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [18]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Before You Cover That Pipeline Protest, Check the Law [1]
Ready for Climate Change-Induced Grid Blackouts Along With Heat Waves? [20]

Climate change can mean doubling down on disasters, such as a combination of widespread power outages with the kind of extreme heat that kills. The latest TipSheet explores why such simultaneous disasters are so dangerous, where they’ve happened already, why they are increasingly likely to happen again and how to prepare to cover them in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [21]
Consumer [22]
Disasters [23]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [6]
Health [24]
Infrastructure [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Planning & Growth [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
California [26]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [13]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Northwest (OR WA) [27]
International [28]
Europe [29]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Ready for Climate Change-Induced Grid Blackouts Along With Heat Waves? [20]
Storm Surge Maps Help Envision Potential Hurricane Flood Catastrophes [30]

Dangerous storm surge that often follows hurricanes can be the focus of life-saving journalism. Reporter’s Toolbox helps environmental journalists get ahead of storm surge with a key resource — a powerful government database and related maps showing surge hazards. Together with real-time advisories and a better understanding of what causes storm surge, Toolbox helps you better cover this danger.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [23]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [32]
Water & Oceans [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [34]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [35]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [18]
International [28]
Central America & the Caribbean [36]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Storm Surge Maps Help Envision Potential Hurricane Flood Catastrophes [30]
Reporting on Poor, Kids Sickened by Industrial Air Pollution [37]

Pittsburgh is known for its history of steel production … and of air pollution. In the new Inside Story, reporter Kristina Marusic talks about capturing the health impacts of air emissions in western Pennsylvania, and shares insights on how dogged environmental justice reporting can make the links between pollution cuts and health impacts. Plus, tips on managing a long reporting project, creating infographics and using video.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [39]
Environmental Health [40]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [32]
Pollution [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Reporting on Poor, Kids Sickened by Industrial Air Pollution [37]
Wastewater Ponds Often a Local Story Worth Stirring Up [42]

The tale of a toxic wastewater pit menacing a Florida community is a story that could be told in communities around the nation. As the latest TipSheet warns, these waste sites can turn into ticking time bombs. But in reporting the story locally, the first thing to know is which of the many kinds of wastewater ponds to look for. Here’s a rundown.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [43]
Chemicals [44]
Disasters [23]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Pollution [41]
Waste [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
International [28]
Canada [46]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Wastewater Ponds Often a Local Story Worth Stirring Up [42]
Replacing the Nation’s Lead Lines Begins With Locating Them [47]

One especially ambitious element of the Biden infrastructure plan would swap out millions of lead pipes. It’s a massive, costly endeavor, but could remove from the country’s water supply a neurotoxin that harms human health, especially of kids and the poor. TipSheet looks at the new plan and offers ideas for reporting the story in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [40]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
People & Population [32]
Water & Oceans [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [13]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Replacing the Nation’s Lead Lines Begins With Locating Them [47]
Small-Market Reporter Gives Readers Reason To Care [48]

Reporter Kyle Bagenstose has impressed Society of Environmental Journalists’ awards judges three times in the last four years with his investigative and small-market beat reporting on local and regional issues in Pennsylvania. In our latest Inside Story Q&A, Bagenstose discusses his award-winning work as a beat reporter and his first-place investigative prize for a series on the cleanup of toxic firefighting chemicals from streams and aquifers around military bases.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [44]
Environmental Health [40]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [41]
Waste [45]
Water & Oceans [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Small-Market Reporter Gives Readers Reason To Care [48]
Sick Schools in the City of Brotherly Love [49]

A Philadelphia Inquirer investigation into environmental harm suffered by the city’s children, minorities and poor dived into the “decaying infrastructure” of the city schools. The result? Findings of dangerous levels of lead, mold and asbestos, followed by an influx of funding to fix the problems and awards from journalism colleagues. For Inside Story, a Q&A with a reporter for the "Toxic City: Sick Schools" exposé.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [32]
Pollution [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Sick Schools in the City of Brotherly Love [49]
South Slow To Adapt to Rising Sea Levels, Other Climate Impacts [50]

Preparations for the inevitable impacts of the climate crisis in the South, the country’s most vulnerable region, have been hit or miss. And one of the toughest challenges — preparing coastal communities for inevitable flooding from sea level rise — is just beginning. More on the region’s climate adaptation considerations in the final entry in our “Covering Your Climate: The South [51]” special report. Plus, a backgrounder, additional tipsheets and a toolbox.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [21]
Disasters [23]
Environmental Health [40]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
People & Population [32]
Planning & Growth [25]
Policy [11]
Water & Oceans [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [18]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about South Slow To Adapt to Rising Sea Levels, Other Climate Impacts [50]
Crisis Threatens the Country’s Most Vulnerable Region [53]

As global warming worsens, effects like extreme heat, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flooding will have an outsized impact in the Southern United States. The latest entry in our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The South [51]” special report looks at those effects. Plus, read an introductory overview and watch for additional entries on climate mitigation and adaptation in the South.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [43]
Air [39]
Climate Change [21]
Consumer [22]
Disasters [23]
Economy & Business [54]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [40]
Environmental Politics [6]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [55]
People & Population [32]
Planning & Growth [25]
Policy [11]
Pollution [41]
Water & Oceans [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [18]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Crisis Threatens the Country’s Most Vulnerable Region [53]

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