Publication Items

Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic? [1]

If you’ve been pondering what recent Cyclospora, Legionella and Ebola outbreaks tell us about the state of preparedness for future pandemics, Backgrounder has some sobering insights. A reminder of the uneven response to COVID-19 and a look forward at how current Trump administration policy has weakened public health structures and likely left us unready for what’s ahead.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Government [4]
Health [5]
People & Population [6]
Policy [7]
Science [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic? [1]
Wildfire Data, With Its Hair on Fire [12]

As wildfires rage in the U.S. West, Canada and other hot spots around the globe, reporters covering this environmental hazard in the United States can access high-quality data of exceptional timeliness via the Watch Duty app, finds the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. The tool offers everything from emergency notifications to data deep dives, all smartly integrated in its mapping interface.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
California [15]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [16]
Northwest (OR WA) [17]
International [10]
Canada [18]
Europe [19]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Wildfire Data, With Its Hair on Fire [12]
Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution [20]

Summertime and the livin' is smoggy. American air may be clearer now than when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, but pollutants still abound. Heat and sunlight stoke chemical reactions that exacerbate health hazards. And worsening wildfires mix in harmful smoke. The latest TipSheet has more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [22]
Air [23]
Chemicals [24]
Climate Change [25]
Energy & Fuel [26]
Environmental Health [27]
Government [4]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [14]
Laws & Regulations [28]
Pollution [29]
Transportation [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution [20]
Taming the Freight Beast [31]

The U.S. freight system delivers significant environmental impacts nationwide, especially in states that host major rail-and-road hubs and seaports. Meanwhile, new federal laws and policies are making it harder to curtail pollution generated by freight trucks, trains and warehouses. Journalist John Lippert looks at how the public, private and nonprofit sectors are rising to this challenge.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [22]
Air [23]
Climate Change [25]
Consumer [33]
Economy & Business [34]
Energy & Fuel [26]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Government [4]
Health [5]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [14]
Laws & Regulations [28]
Policy [7]
Pollution [29]
Technology [38]
Transportation [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
California [15]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [39]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Taming the Freight Beast [31]
Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [40]

The Great Lakes region is a top steel producer, but its coal-fired steel mills are also a major source of planet-warming emissions and health-harming pollution. Climate advocates, community members and workers have been pushing to clean up these facilities for decades. Now, foreign funding offers new hope for revitalizing and decarbonizing the region’s steel industry. Canary Media’s Maria Gallucci explains.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [22]
Air [23]
Climate Change [25]
Economy & Business [34]
Energy & Fuel [26]
Environmental Politics [36]
Government [4]
Health [5]
Natural Resources [41]
Pollution [29]
Technology [38]
Water & Oceans [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [39]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [43]
International [10]
Asia [44]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [40]
Extreme Heat Will Get You This Summer. Watch Out! [45]

With the approach of what looks like an unusually hot summer, the latest TipSheet offers guidance on covering extreme heat, starting with the step-by-step basics of understanding heat’s health impacts, from dehydration to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Plus, get 10 story ideas and reporting resources to cover the dangers of extreme heat locally.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [25]
Disasters [3]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Extreme Heat Will Get You This Summer. Watch Out! [45]
Graphic Content — Journalistic Lessons From Crossing Genres [46]

Today’s teens are growing up in a world of conspicuous climate change, often directly affected by its consequences. Despite their youth, some are at the forefront of the fight against this threat. Freelance journalist and author Meera Subramanian — co-creator of a new nonfiction graphic novel about young climate campaigners — on teens as sources, activism as a topic and the pleasures of collaboration. See a sample of the book [47].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [22]
Biodiversity [48]
Climate Change [25]
Disasters [3]
Diversity [49]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Environmental Studies [50]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [14]
Pollution [29]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [51]
Science [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [52]
International [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Graphic Content — Journalistic Lessons From Crossing Genres [46]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [53]

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 [54], Nathaniel Eisen [55], Nhung Nguyen [56] and Marlowe Starling [57] 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 [53] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [22]
Agriculture [59]
Air [23]
Biodiversity [48]
Chemicals [24]
Climate Change [25]
Consumer [33]
Economy & Business [34]
Energy & Fuel [26]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Environmental Studies [50]
Food [60]
Forests [61]
Government [4]
Health [5]
Infrastructure [37]
Journalism & Media [14]
Laws & Regulations [28]
Natural Resources [41]
People & Population [6]
Planning & Growth [62]
Policy [7]
Pollution [29]
Science [8]
Technology [38]
Transportation [30]
Waste [63]
Water & Oceans [42]
Wildlife [64]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [39]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [53]
War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [65]

Nearly as rejuvenating as attending the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual gathering is perusing the après-conference spoof by contributing quipster David Helvarg. While it seemed he was mostly there unabashedly preselling his forthcoming book, he somehow found time to send up SEJ’s earnest sessions, lambast its blown-up tours and rib its beat dinners. Read his Chicago roast.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [59]
Air [23]
Chemicals [24]
Climate Change [25]
Economy & Business [34]
Energy & Fuel [26]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Fish & Fisheries [66]
Government [4]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [14]
Natural Resources [41]
Policy [7]
Pollution [29]
Science [8]
Waste [63]
Water & Oceans [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [39]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [65]
Report on PFAS Better, With a Better Mapping Tool [67]

If drinking water safety is on your beat, then keeping track of seesawing regulations around PFAS is a challenge. But as Reporter’s Toolbox writes, a powerful government data mapping tool can help you at least locate nearby PFAS facilities at a glance. What it does well and where it sources its underlying data, plus some suggestions on using it for your reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [24]
Consumer [33]
Environmental Health [27]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [14]
Pollution [29]
Water & Oceans [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Report on PFAS Better, With a Better Mapping Tool [67]

Pages