Publication Items

How a Hurricane Whipped Up Student Energy/Poverty Project [1]

A journalism teaching project planned to cover local energy inequities. That was before Hurricane Irma swept Florida. In the end, inspired student reporters moved community leaders to action with human-centered, data-driven stories focused on solutions. Journalist and educator Cynthia Barnett shares the lessons in our latest EJ Academy column.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [10]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about How a Hurricane Whipped Up Student Energy/Poverty Project [1]
Great Lakes Offer Great Stories to Reporters in the Know [15]

The Great Lakes are not only the largest fresh water system in the world, supplying drinking water to tens of millions. They also face a range of environmental woes that make them ready fodder for reporters. This week’s TipSheet runs down some ongoing developments, plus key resources to cover them.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [17]
Biodiversity [18]
Chemicals [19]
Consumer [4]
Economy & Business [20]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Politics [7]
Fish & Fisheries [22]
Health [23]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [24]
Natural Resources [25]
People & Population [10]
Planning & Growth [26]
Pollution [27]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [29]
International [30]
Canada [31]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Great Lakes Offer Great Stories to Reporters in the Know [15]
Selective Media Tour on EPA Scandal, ‘Weaponizing’ Transparency and More [32]

The EPA turns to friendly media to share its news, while limiting access to mainstream reporters. And the agency moves to “weaponize” transparency. Those stories, plus, a new way to map political influence on environmental policy, and key reports made public, in the latest WatchDog TipSheet.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [34]
Climate Change [35]
Consumer [4]
Economy & Business [20]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Environmental Studies [36]
Government [8]
Health [23]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [24]
Policy [11]
Pollution [27]
Science [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Selective Media Tour on EPA Scandal, ‘Weaponizing’ Transparency and More [32]
SEJ Takes EPA to Task [38]

The Society of Environmental Journalists has written EPA again, asking that its press shop stop distortions, ethically questionable treatment of journalists and appropriation of partisan news for official press releases. That, plus an update on the SEJ’s executive director search, in the latest President’s Report.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ Presidents Report [39]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about SEJ Takes EPA to Task [38]
Death and Taxes [40]

A veteran freelancer struggles with tax season in the wake of an unexpected personal tragedy. But as she makes her way through a forest of forms, she offers a series of tips and observations for fellow independents, in the return of our regular Freelance Files column.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files [41]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [20]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Death and Taxes [40]
When Disaster Strikes, Building Codes May Make Things Worse [42]

They may not be the sexiest topics on the environmental agenda. But building codes and zoning can become a matter of life and death when natural disasters strike. This week’s TipSheet runs down the reporting challenge when floods, earthquakes and wildfires threaten your coverage area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [35]
Disasters [5]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [24]
People & Population [10]
Planning & Growth [26]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [43]
California [44]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [45]
Northwest (OR WA) [46]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about When Disaster Strikes, Building Codes May Make Things Worse [42]
Drinking Water a Little-Noticed Environmental Justice Problem [47]

Health risks from unsafe drinking water afflict many, not only around the world, but in the United States too, especially the poor, ethnic minorities and those in remote rural areas. The latest Issue Backgrounder looks at this undercovered environmental justice story, and offers ideas and resources for how reporters can cover it.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Chemicals [19]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Health [23]
Laws & Regulations [24]
People & Population [10]
Planning & Growth [26]
Policy [11]
Pollution [27]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Drinking Water a Little-Noticed Environmental Justice Problem [47]
Lead Paint Lingers as Environmental Health Threat [49]

Lead is not just poisoning much of the U.S. drinking water supply. It’s also a threat to millions of the nation’s children, who continue to ingest lead paint chips from older housing stock decades after lead paint was banned. This week’s TipSheet explores this perennial problem and offers resources for local coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [19]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Health [23]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [24]
People & Population [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Lead Paint Lingers as Environmental Health Threat [49]
Reducing the Obstacles to Science-Based Local Climate Reporting [50]

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the most surprising findings from a new survey of environmental journalists. It showed a range of challenges in covering local climate change stories. And see what the group behind the survey hopes to do to help reporters and editors address these obstacles.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [35]
Journalism & Media [9]
Science [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [30]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Reducing the Obstacles to Science-Based Local Climate Reporting [50]
Are Combined Sewer Overflows Causing Pollution in Your Local Waters? [52]

Decades after the nation’s capital began its historic cleanup, sanitary sewage still occasionally swamps the Potomac River. Are sewage systems also dumping human waste and other pollutants into waterways near you? This week’s TipSheet has the background on the problem of combined sewage overflow, as well as resources for finding out what’s happening near you.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [21]
Health [23]
Journalism & Media [9]
Planning & Growth [26]
Pollution [27]
Waste [53]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [29]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [45]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [54]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [55]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Are Combined Sewer Overflows Causing Pollution in Your Local Waters? [52]

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