Publication Items

List of Toxics Near Military Sites May Include Leads for Reporters [1]

Drinking water contaminated with PFAS for years has caused worry, even outrage, in local communities affected by the toxic chemicals. Now, a military database may help reporters locate contamination sites. This week’s TipSheet has more on the database, along with tips for evaluating your local PFAS story.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Military [10]
Policy [11]
Pollution [12]
Science [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about List of Toxics Near Military Sites May Include Leads for Reporters [1]
Doc on Rare Porpoise Wins Sundance Award [17]

An environmental documentary that follows a risk-laden effort to save a rare and elusive porpoise won over audiences at the recent Sundance Film Festival. Correspondent JoAnn Valenti takes a look at the film, along with other documentaries that explore the role of journalists and journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [19]
Economy & Business [20]
Fish & Fisheries [21]
Journalism & Media [8]
Water & Oceans [14]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [23]
International [24]
Mexico [25]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Doc on Rare Porpoise Wins Sundance Award [17]
Can States Divvy Up the Shrinking Colorado River Water Supply? [26]

The vast Colorado River, recently in the news over a troubled drought deal, is at the heart of numerous environmental problems in the American West, where water is scarce and the legal complexities of water rights voluminous. The latest Issue Backgrounder offers an explainer on the story, which involves at least seven states, the federal government, Native American tribes, a hornet’s nest of irrigation districts and even Mexico.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Climate Change [29]
Consumer [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [30]
Government [31]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [32]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
California [33]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [34]
International [24]
Mexico [25]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Can States Divvy Up the Shrinking Colorado River Water Supply? [26]
New Coal Ash Data Help Pinpoint Local Pollution Stories [35]

Hundreds of coal ash ponds and landfills around the United States pollute drinking water supplies, and now a newly released report helps localize the problem for environmental reporters. This week’s TipSheet explores the new data source, provides the back story on coal ash regulation (or lack thereof) and the potential health risks, while offering numerous questions to ask and resources to track down.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [30]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [37]
Pollution [12]
Waste [38]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [39]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about New Coal Ash Data Help Pinpoint Local Pollution Stories [35]
Perfecting Your Panorama Technique [40]

In this how-to, veteran environmental photojournalist Dennis Dimick shares new techniques for capturing panoramas from the air — while on commercial plane flights — in order to illustrate human impacts on the landscape. Plus, Dimick details how and why he developed the new approach [41], in our latest EJ InSight column exploring the cutting edge of visual journalism on the environment.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [42]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Air [43]
Forests [44]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [37]
Planning & Growth [45]
Pollution [12]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [24]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Perfecting Your Panorama Technique [40]
Capturing a Planet on the Fly [41]

Capturing panoramas from the air has become a passion for veteran environmental photojournalist Dennis Dimick. In the latest EJ InSight, our new column exploring the cutting edge of visual journalism on the environment, Dimick describes how he visualizes the expanding human footprint of the emergent Anthropocene era — by shooting from commercial airplane flights. Plus, Dimick shares his techniques in a how-to sidebar [40].

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [42]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Air [43]
Fish & Fisheries [21]
Forests [44]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [37]
Planning & Growth [45]
Pollution [12]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Capturing a Planet on the Fly [41]
Where Does All That Recycling Go? [46]

Where do all those recyclables actually go? This week’s TipSheet dives into the trash to find a story worth telling — of troubling overseas dumping, problematic local incineration and a fraying patchwork of U.S. regulation. Plus, several dozen questions you might want to ask, a pair of pro tips and a dozen resources to track the story in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [43]
Consumer [5]
Economy & Business [20]
Government [31]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [11]
Pollution [12]
Waste [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [24]
Asia [47]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Where Does All That Recycling Go? [46]
Border Wall a Way into Environmental Stories [48]

The fierce contest over the Trump border wall has critical environmental implications, both local and regional, per the latest TipSheet. A key suit against the Trump emergency declaration was filed by environmental groups and plans for a border barrier may harm significant wildlife habitat, as well as numerous migrating species, including some that are endangered. Get the back story and why it matters, along with story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [19]
Environmental Politics [30]
Government [31]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
California [33]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [23]
International [24]
Mexico [25]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Border Wall a Way into Environmental Stories [48]
Climate Scientist Canned, SCOTUS To Rule on Chemical ‘Secrets’ and Army Corps Sued Over Permit Info [49]

A scientist contracted to report on climate impacts for the National Park Service was caught up in a fracas over attempted censorship of her findings. Now she’s been fired. That, plus a FOIA case before the Supreme Court and an enviro group sues the Army Corps of Engineers over info on a permit for a new plastics plant in Louisiana. Read the latest on freedom-of-information issues in this month’s WatchDog TipSheet.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [50]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [29]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [30]
Environmental Studies [51]
Government [31]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [12]
Science [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [34]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [39]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Climate Scientist Canned, SCOTUS To Rule on Chemical ‘Secrets’ and Army Corps Sued Over Permit Info [49]
As Environmental Journalism Education Changes, Challenges Abound [52]

Even as traditional journalism jobs are in decline, innovative educators are finding ways to fill seats in journalism courses. EJ Academy editor Robert Wyss unpacks a recent study that examines the challenges of environmental journalism education and explores how journalism instructors must stretch to focus on preserving the “functions of journalism.” Find out more in our latest EJ Academy column.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Journalism & Media [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [54]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about As Environmental Journalism Education Changes, Challenges Abound [52]

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