Publication Items

10 Key Open-Gov Resources for Environmental Journalists [1]

In honor of Sunshine Week, which began March 14, the WatchDog serves up a meaty list of essential resources for journalists working to expose governmental secrets voters and taxpayers have a right to know about.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Journalism & Media [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about 10 Key Open-Gov Resources for Environmental Journalists [1]
Who's Biking/Walking in Your State and City? [7]

The Alliance for Biking and Walking's second biennial report, while mainly a recitation of statistics, is a highly useful source of leads and context for transit-related stories.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Transportation [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Who's Biking/Walking in Your State and City? [7]
USGS Minerals Report: A Tale of Economy and Environment [10]

Many story leads are tucked away in this 196-page report: recession impacts from drops in extraction and consumption, increases in importation of key materials, insights on stories related to climate change and air pollution, and much more.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [11]
Air [12]
Economy & Business [13]
Energy & Fuel [14]
Natural Resources [15]
Pollution [16]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about USGS Minerals Report: A Tale of Economy and Environment [10]
EPA Launches New Online Regulatory Gateway [17]

The site offers some improvements over poring through the Federal Register, but it's not comprehensive, topics are too broad, and there's poor differentiation between topics and constituencies. On the plus side, visitors can comment on in-process regulations, get alerts about specific regulations, attend online public meetings, and sort in-process regs.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [18]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about EPA Launches New Online Regulatory Gateway [17]
New Fed Climate Change Site Consolidates Information [19]

The site includes news, studies, reports, fact sheets, data, predictions, educational tools, an events calendar, and images. The agency says it will adapt the site in response to comments, so feel free to provide feedback.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [11]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about New Fed Climate Change Site Consolidates Information [19]
Firearms Now Allowed in Parks; Rules Eased in Refuges [20]

Educating your audience about the complicated new law will be a useful public service. It will also familiarize you with the people involved at your local facilities, what steps they are taking, and who you can contact if a shooting incident or other violation occurs.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Natural Resources [15]
Laws & Regulations [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Firearms Now Allowed in Parks; Rules Eased in Refuges [20]
SEJ Urges White House To Lose the "Minders" [21]

SEJ wrote White House Communication Director Dan Pfeiffer asking for an end to the practice of requiring permission from the press office at federal agencies before reporters can talk to federal employees — and requiring Saddam-style PIO "minders" to sit in on interviews.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [4]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about SEJ Urges White House To Lose the "Minders" [21]
Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse [22]

Jim Morris of the Sunlight Foundation reports on the Project on Government Oversight's (POGO) so-far unsuccessful efforts to FOIA the data.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse [22]
FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov [23]

John Wonderlich of the Sunlight Foundation has been tracking the Federal Communications Commission plan.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Technology [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov [23]
Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19 [25]

Various trackers are sorting through and compiling ideas, comments, and agencies' progress towards meeting the deadline.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
People & Population [26]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19 [25]

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