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]
Extreme Rainfall Offers Journalists a Deluge of Environment, Climate Stories [50]

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 [51]
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 [50]
ESA Inaction Spells Trouble for an Iconic Grassland Bird [52]

The lesser prairie-chicken is in dire need of protection, but a decision on listing it under the Endangered Species Act is months overdue. Environmental reporter Mike Smith looks at the causes and potential consequences of the bureaucratic delay and muses on whether this unique bird will go the way of its even more imperiled relative, the Attwater’s prairie-chicken [53].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [19]
Biodiversity [21]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Natural Resources [33]
Policy [35]
Science [54]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [55]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
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 ESA Inaction Spells Trouble for an Iconic Grassland Bird [52]
On the Persistence of Ocean Plastics [56]

Concerns about seaborne plastic waste go back decades, but science writer Juli Berwald suggests that myths and disinformation about sources and solutions continue to cloud the waters. From lentil-sized nurdles to sprawling fishing nets, 200 million tons of plastic now fill the ocean and, for her, it has become evident that the ocean plastics story is really a land story. But will the newly signed international treaty on plastics offer relief?

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [21]
Chemicals [57]
Climate Change [22]
Consumer [43]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Studies [58]
Fish & Fisheries [28]
Government [6]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Natural Resources [33]
Policy [35]
Pollution [36]
Science [54]
Technology [45]
Waste [59]
Water & Oceans [37]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [39]
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]
International [14]
Mexico [60]
Africa [61]
Asia [62]
Europe [63]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about On the Persistence of Ocean Plastics [56]
Beat Reporter’s Coverage Calls Out Natural Gas Proponents [64]

Electric utilities may sound like a wonky beat, but in the hands of L.A. Times’ Sammy Roth, it became an opportunity to weave together seemingly dry, technical subject matter into a series of award-winning stories on natural gas that captured flash points for climate change, communities of color and energy politics. Roth shares his reporting experience in the latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [65]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [20]
Climate Change [22]
Consumer [43]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [33]
People & Population [8]
Policy [35]
Pollution [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
California [39]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Beat Reporter’s Coverage Calls Out Natural Gas Proponents [64]
Methane, a Key Global Warming Source, Is Targeted by Nations [66]

Carbon dioxide may get more attention, but the second-most damaging greenhouse gas, methane, is now the focus of a global pledge to cut emissions 30% by 2030. As part of a Society of Environmental Journalists publishing project focused on covering climate solutions, we take a closer look at methane with energy reporter Nushin Huq. A primer on the climate-related problems of methane and the promise of methane-based solutions. Plus, watch a recent SEJ methane solutions webinar [67] and see our Methane and Climate Change Toolbox [68].

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [69]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [57]
Climate Change [22]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [27]
Environmental Studies [58]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [33]
Policy [35]
Pollution [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [55]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [49]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
International [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Methane, a Key Global Warming Source, Is Targeted by Nations [66]
Methane and Climate Change Toolbox [68]

Levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have doubled in the past 150 years due to human activity, particularly from fossil fuels and extensive farming. As part of an ongoing Society of Environmental Journalists special project focused on covering climate solutions, check out a methane resource toolbox and stay tuned for a methane reporting tipsheet in the coming weeks. Plus, watch the recording [67] of an SEJ virtual webinar, Covering Climate Solutions: Containing and Monitoring Methane.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [69]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Air [20]
Climate Change [22]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Studies [58]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [44]
Natural Resources [33]
Policy [35]
Pollution [36]
Science [54]
Technology [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [55]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [48]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
International [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Methane and Climate Change Toolbox [68]

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