Publication Items

Seeding Climate Stories in the Backyard Garden [1]

Spring may be weeks away, but gardeners are already browsing the seed catalogs, and that makes it a good time for environmental journalists to apprise them of how climate change will affect their backyard patches. Reporter’s Toolbox talks “hardiness zones” and explains why one of the usual repositories of government information may fall short. That plus, story sources to, well, cultivate.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Food [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Seeding Climate Stories in the Backyard Garden [1]
Small-Market Reporter Gives Readers Reason To Care [11]

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 [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [13]
Environmental Health [14]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [15]
Waste [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [18]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Small-Market Reporter Gives Readers Reason To Care [11]
Top Biden Climate Advisor, Others Preview 2021 Energy and Enviro News [19]

President Biden’s national climate advisor Gina McCarthy joined an outspoken U.S. senator and a roundtable of elite journalists last week to preview dramatic changes possibly ahead in U.S. and international climate policy, environmental justice, clean energy and more. Get the upshot from the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 2021 Guide to Energy & Environment event. Plus, watch video of the full program [20].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [21]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [22]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [23]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [25]
People & Population [26]
Policy [27]
Science [28]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
California [29]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [30]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [31]
Northwest (OR WA) [32]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [33]
International [34]
Europe [35]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Top Biden Climate Advisor, Others Preview 2021 Energy and Enviro News [19]
Super-Heated Year Ahead on Energy & Environment News [36]

The Biden administration has moved rapidly to reset energy and environment policies dramatically shifted by the Trump White House. But how quickly can such a reversal occur, what are the priorities and what are the critical pathways for change? To help sort out the latest news and track larger trends, SEJournal offers this overview and analysis, part of our extensive “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [37].”

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Air [39]
Biodiversity [40]
Chemicals [13]
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [5]
Disasters [41]
Economy & Business [42]
Energy & Fuel [22]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [23]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Planning & Growth [43]
Policy [27]
Pollution [15]
Science [28]
Transportation [44]
Waste [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Wildlife [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [34]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Super-Heated Year Ahead on Energy & Environment News [36]
“Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of the Anthropocene” [46]

A case study in how journalists can center environmental news around social justice is at the heart of a new volume of scholarly essays reviewed in the latest BookShelf. While its tale of rural residents poisoned by contaminants is decades old, its lesson of what happens when power players bank on media acquiescence holds for stories of today.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [13]
Environmental Politics [6]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
Military [48]
People & Population [26]
Pollution [15]
Region:
International [34]
Europe [35]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about “Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of the Anthropocene” [46]
Biden Nominees Foretell Aggressive Action on Climate, Environmental Justice [49]

Key picks for President Biden’s environment and energy team suggest top priorities, among them an aggressive, whole-government climate change agenda. The latest Backgrounder assesses choices to pursue Biden’s international and domestic climate policies, as well as historic selections for EPA and Interior, and more. Plus, dive into SEJournal’s expanding “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [37]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [50]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [51]
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [22]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [23]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Policy [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
California [29]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [52]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [30]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [53]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [33]
International [34]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Biden Nominees Foretell Aggressive Action on Climate, Environmental Justice [49]
Assange Case Raises Free Press Concerns; Pushback on ‘Murder the Media’ Message [54]

The Espionage Act case against controversial figure Julian Assange is a wedge that could later be used to restrict press freedoms for journalists and so should be dropped by the incoming Biden administration, argues the new WatchDog opinion column. That, plus why the “murder the media” message signals the need for a law to make it a crime to assault journalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [51]
Government [23]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Policy [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Assange Case Raises Free Press Concerns; Pushback on ‘Murder the Media’ Message [54]
Sick Schools in the City of Brotherly Love [56]

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 [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [26]
Pollution [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [18]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Sick Schools in the City of Brotherly Love [56]
Public Health Infrastructure Emerges As Critical Environmental Story [57]

A pandemic and a weakened public health framework underscore how essential is the public health reporting function of environmental journalism. The latest TipSheet entry in our ongoing special report, “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [58],” explores what’s ahead and asks are health agencies too hollowed out to serve? Plus, story ideas and extensive reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [59]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [41]
Economy & Business [42]
Environmental Health [14]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [23]
Health [24]
Infrastructure [60]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [26]
Planning & Growth [43]
Policy [27]
Science [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [34]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Public Health Infrastructure Emerges As Critical Environmental Story [57]
Is Wireless Technology an Environmental Health Risk? [61]

As COVID-19 lockdowns push more people online and 5G technology continues its rapid expansion, should the question of whether electromagnetic radiation causes health and environmental injury be raised anew? Yes, argues an award-winning freelancer who herself suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, and who musters suggestive scientific and medical research to make the case. Plus, sidebars on 5G and on taking personal precautions.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [5]
Environmental Health [14]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Studies [62]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Science [28]
Technology [63]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [34]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Is Wireless Technology an Environmental Health Risk? [61]

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