Publication Items

Fire Sleuths Can Spark Story Ideas With Wildland Urban Interface Data Maps [1]

Communities surrounded by forest can be a beautiful place to live … or a wildfire trap. Environmental journalists can readily map and identify these so-called wildland urban interfaces through a federal government resource, writes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. More on this data mapping tool and how to use it to track your area’s risk, explore historical trends and layer other data.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Environmental Studies [4]
Forests [5]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Fire Sleuths Can Spark Story Ideas With Wildland Urban Interface Data Maps [1]
Press Freedom Erosion Continues Apace Under Trump 2.0 [14]

President Donald Trump’s numerous libel suits against news media may be more of a nuisance than a real weapon — albeit one that comes with significant legal bills and other, less tangible costs. But the new WatchDog Opinion column raises a rising press freedom vulnerability that Trump seems happy to exploit: leveraging the increasing media ownership by billionaires and large corporations.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Press Freedom Erosion Continues Apace Under Trump 2.0 [14]
Making the Transition to Journalism From the Nonprofit World [17]

Despite a family tradition in journalism, freelancer Marigo Farr first spent a decade working on social justice issues before making a striking realization: They, too, wanted to be a journalist. Follow their journey in the new Freelance Files, from first clips to the rigors of J-school and discovering the power of networking. Plus, some bonus strategies.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Making the Transition to Journalism From the Nonprofit World [17]
Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges [19]

Jobs are relatively plentiful in green energy fields, whether in solar, wind, geothermal, energy efficiency, storage or hydro. To get at the trend, environmental journalists can check in with area community colleges, many of which offer technical training — and local stories. TipSheet has a closer look at the phenomenon, with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources for your coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [20]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [21]
Economy & Business [22]
Energy & Fuel [23]
Infrastructure [24]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [25]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [26]
Technology [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges [19]
EPA Facilities Database — Gateway to Investigative Reporting [28]

Want to pinpoint all the facilities regulated by the EPA in your ZIP code? Or scope out every U.S. operation owned by a particular industrial company? Or learn which polluter might be facing fewer enforcement actions under the current administration? Reporter’s Toolbox has a database for you — in effect, a master index to potential polluters.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [7]
Pollution [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about EPA Facilities Database — Gateway to Investigative Reporting [28]
EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [30]

The enforcement of environmental laws suffered a dramatic collapse during the Trump administration’s first year, several studies have found. Even the most serious violations, typically referred to the Department of Justice, are left unpursued because of DOJ staffing declines. The latest Backgrounder has the details, a look at the administration’s rationale for the decline and the implications for the environment and public health.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [32]
Chemicals [33]
Climate Change [34]
Economy & Business [22]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Environmental Studies [4]
Government [6]
Health [37]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [16]
Policy [26]
Pollution [29]
Waste [38]
Water & Oceans [39]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [30]
Is Our Inextricable Link to Water the Key to Human Survival? [40]

The new book by renowned thinker and author Jeremy Rifkin, “Planet Aqua,” immerses the reader in a fascinating premise: that we live not on a land planet but within a great hydrosphere, and that water is no mere resource but a life-sustaining source. BookShelf editor Tom Henry explores how Rifkin’s wide-reaching narrative strives to upend conventional wisdom about our Earth.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [41]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [35]
Water & Oceans [39]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [42]
Asia [43]
Europe [44]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Is Our Inextricable Link to Water the Key to Human Survival? [40]
Beyond the Fires and Floods — Comprehensively Covering Disasters [45]

Reporting on extreme-weather disasters is complicated, challenging work. Besides covering immediate impacts, there’s the broader context to consider, from climate change to social and political dynamics — all while looking out for your personal safety and well-being. Environmental journalist Colleen Hagerty draws on her own and others’ front-line experiences as she shares insights and advice for telling these high-stakes stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [34]
Disasters [3]
Diversity [47]
Environmental Justice [48]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
California [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [49]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Beyond the Fires and Floods — Comprehensively Covering Disasters [45]
Is Disaster Aid Backlog Becoming a (Blue State) Disaster? [50]

A critical logjam is emerging for post-disaster aid to U.S. states, $11 billion or more, according to some calculations. At the same time, FEMA, which dispenses much of it, is in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. TipSheet explores how this looks on the ground and how politics play into the backlog, plus offers 10 story ideas and resources for local reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [20]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [34]
Disasters [3]
Environmental Politics [36]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Policy [26]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Is Disaster Aid Backlog Becoming a (Blue State) Disaster? [50]
Database Details Planetary Asset — Canada’s Forests [51]

They’re a carbon sink, a playground and a major market, but also a source of smoke pollution and pest infestation. Millions of acres of Canadian forest are a big North American story, and the latest Reporter’s Toolbox points you to a central data source that can help quantify, analyze and visualize the numbers and see the proverbial forest for the trees.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [52]
Air [32]
Climate Change [34]
Economy & Business [22]
Energy & Fuel [23]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Forests [5]
Natural Resources [25]
Policy [26]
Pollution [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [42]
Canada [53]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Database Details Planetary Asset — Canada’s Forests [51]

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