Publication Items

Closing the Trust Gap With Environmental Justice Communities [1]

Communities impacted by environmental justice issues often view the media with wariness deeply rooted in history. But some journalists and EJ advocates are working together to forge a better relationship. While recognizing the challenges, they offer encouragement with a set of guiding principles for reporters who want to gain the trust of communities and tell accurate, respectful and impactful environmental stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [13]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Closing the Trust Gap With Environmental Justice Communities [1]
Databases on Data Centers, Brockovich and Beyond [16]

An explosion of new artificial intelligence data centers means potential trouble, as they hoover up power and water, and spew global warming gases. It’s a story with national and global ramifications, certainly. But it’s also one that can be reported locally. Reporter’s Toolbox offers up some handy databases for environmental journalists to find data center stories in their communities.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [18]
Infrastructure [19]
Journalism & Media [7]
Planning & Growth [9]
Technology [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Databases on Data Centers, Brockovich and Beyond [16]
Is Climate Disaster Insurance a Worsening Disaster? [22]

The growing disconnect between climate risk and risk insurance for homeowners is leaving millions on the knife-edge of economic disaster. But the latest TipSheet suggests that reality offers environmental journalists an opportunity to navigate the morass, community by community. Get more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources in the latest column.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [23]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [24]
Disasters [25]
Environmental Politics [26]
Government [27]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [28]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [10]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
California [30]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Is Climate Disaster Insurance a Worsening Disaster? [22]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [31]

SEJournal is providing full coverage of all eight of the day-long tours from the annual Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference, April 15-18, in Chicago. In Part 2, contributors Meg Duff [32], Nathaniel Eisen [33], Nhung Nguyen [34] and Marlowe Starling [35] provide detailed reports from tours focused on the transitioning steel industry, microgrids, climate-friendly crop practices and evolving Midwestern agricultural systems.

Also check out the first round of tour coverage and read all the great work [31] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Air [38]
Biodiversity [39]
Chemicals [40]
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [24]
Economy & Business [41]
Energy & Fuel [18]
Environmental Health [42]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [26]
Environmental Studies [43]
Food [44]
Forests [45]
Government [27]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [19]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [28]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Science [47]
Technology [20]
Transportation [48]
Waste [49]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [31]
Fire Sleuths Can Spark Story Ideas With Wildland Urban Interface Data Maps [50]

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 [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [25]
Environmental Studies [43]
Forests [45]
Government [27]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [51]
California [30]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Fire Sleuths Can Spark Story Ideas With Wildland Urban Interface Data Maps [50]
Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges [52]

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 [23]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [24]
Economy & Business [41]
Energy & Fuel [18]
Infrastructure [19]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [46]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [10]
Technology [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges [52]
As Realty Risk Data Is Pulled From Web, Alternatives Are Ready [53]

As one data source disappears, another often emerges, finds Reporter’s Toolbox, as it searches for ways to report on real estate risk. In our latest column, insight into where to find information on home hazards, especially from climate change, plus smart ways to use the data for your reporting and some emerging gaps to be aware of.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [24]
Disasters [25]
Journalism & Media [7]
Planning & Growth [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about As Realty Risk Data Is Pulled From Web, Alternatives Are Ready [53]
Data Centers — A Local Drain on Power and Water, Coming to a Community Near You [54]

Thousands of energy-hungry, water-gulping data centers are helping fuel the artificial intelligence boom in the United States (and elsewhere). The latest TipSheet takes a closer look at this escalating phenomenon and encourages environmental journalists to look into how it may be playing out in their communities. Ten story ideas and reporting resources to cover data centers’ local impact.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [23]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [18]
Infrastructure [19]
Journalism & Media [7]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [55]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Data Centers — A Local Drain on Power and Water, Coming to a Community Near You [54]
Queer Ecology — A Powerful Lens for Reporting on Environmental Injustice [56]

Queer ecology is an evolving field that challenges traditional assumptions in science and explores LGBTQ+ experiences in an ecological context. It’s easy to catch your audience’s attention with stories about transitioning clownfish or same-sex albatross parenting. But as contributor Isaias Hernandez explains, queer ecology also offers journalists an important perspective for covering a range of environmental issues, from climate risk to pollution exposure, and reimagining environmental narratives.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Air [38]
Biodiversity [39]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [25]
Diversity [57]
Environmental Health [42]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [26]
Environmental Studies [43]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Science [47]
Wildlife [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [55]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Queer Ecology — A Powerful Lens for Reporting on Environmental Injustice [56]
Tapping Into COP30 To Cover Indigenous Issues [58]

COP30 negotiators from around the world gather next week in Belém, Brazil, at the mouth of the Amazon River. Our Voices of Environmental Justice columnist Yessenia Funes says it’s a vital opportunity to engage with the Indigenous peoples who help protect the vast rainforest region — even for environmental reporters not there in person. Here’s how to tell their stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [59]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [37]
Biodiversity [39]
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [41]
Energy & Fuel [18]
Environmental Health [42]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [26]
Forests [45]
Government [27]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
International [55]
South America [60]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Tapping Into COP30 To Cover Indigenous Issues [58]

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