Publication Items

How Attribution Science Can Help Reporters on the Heat Beat [1]

With 2026 shaping up to be an exceptional El Niño year, expect lots of record-breaking heat waves and other extreme weather. But climate change will also contribute. Explaining the role of both is essential to complete coverage. Journalist Ethan Brown shares tips and resources for using climate attribution science as a powerful reporting tool. Plus, five questions to ask while covering the next extreme climate event.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Studies [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Policy [8]
Science [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about How Attribution Science Can Help Reporters on the Heat Beat [1]
Extreme Heat Will Get You This Summer. Watch Out! [13]

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 [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Health [15]
Journalism & Media [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Extreme Heat Will Get You This Summer. Watch Out! [13]
Hazard Duty — Government Data Portals Help Report Extreme Weather [16]

When it comes to tracking weather phenomena from heat waves and tornadoes to wildfire smoke or storm surge, environmental journalists could hardly do better than the vast array of data from the National Weather Service, writes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. A tour of data maps and viewers, forecasts and weather insights from the large scale to the local.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Journalism & Media [7]
Science [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Hazard Duty — Government Data Portals Help Report Extreme Weather [16]
Graphic Content — Journalistic Lessons From Crossing Genres [18]

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 [19].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [20]
Biodiversity [21]
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Diversity [22]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Justice [24]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Studies [6]
Health [15]
Journalism & Media [7]
Pollution [25]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [26]
Science [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [27]
International [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Graphic Content — Journalistic Lessons From Crossing Genres [18]
Scouring the Skies for Methane Data [28]

Emissions of the global warming gas methane are widely tracked through satellite sensors, despite some unexpected bumps in the data-gathering effort. But a big challenge is how to interpret and use the resulting insights in your coverage. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox points out several important methane datasets and offers useful insights into how to turn them into stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Studies [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Science [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Scouring the Skies for Methane Data [28]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [29]

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 [30], Nathaniel Eisen [31], Nhung Nguyen [32] and Marlowe Starling [33] 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 [29] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [34]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [20]
Agriculture [35]
Air [36]
Biodiversity [21]
Chemicals [37]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [38]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [40]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Justice [24]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Studies [6]
Food [41]
Forests [42]
Government [43]
Health [15]
Infrastructure [44]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [45]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [47]
Planning & Growth [48]
Policy [8]
Pollution [25]
Science [9]
Technology [49]
Transportation [50]
Waste [51]
Water & Oceans [52]
Wildlife [53]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [54]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [29]
War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [55]

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 [34]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [35]
Air [36]
Chemicals [37]
Climate Change [3]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [40]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Justice [24]
Environmental Politics [5]
Fish & Fisheries [56]
Government [43]
Health [15]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [46]
Policy [8]
Pollution [25]
Science [9]
Waste [51]
Water & Oceans [52]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [54]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [55]
Why the Silencing of Protest Matters [57]

As the Trump administration and its allies seek to stifle free speech and paint protest as domestic terrorism, Voices columnist Yessenia Funes argues that environmental journalists must heed the impact on the environmental movement we cover. Start with what happened in Standing Rock, which swept back into the news this spring. Funes explains the connection, and where we may be headed.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [20]
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [40]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Justice [24]
Environmental Politics [5]
Government [43]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [47]
Policy [8]
Pollution [25]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [26]
Water & Oceans [52]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [54]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [59]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [60]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Why the Silencing of Protest Matters [57]
Why I Write About Extinction [61]

Reporting on species who are gone forever can be disheartening, but don’t let that stop you. After more than two decades on the extinction beat, John R. Platt has learned this work can also be deeply rewarding. He explains why he’s stuck with it and why other journalists should consider joining him in telling the stories of vanishing animals and plants.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [20]
Biodiversity [21]
Chemicals [37]
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Studies [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Pollution [25]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [26]
Science [9]
Wildlife [53]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about Why I Write About Extinction [61]
NASA Earthdata Offers a New Look at What Satellites See Down Here [62]

The capacity to visualize Earth’s ecosystems in detail is an invaluable aid to reporting on the environment. That’s now being bolstered with an ongoing upgrade to NASA’s Earthdata program, fueled by its ranks of satellites. Reporter’s Toolbox says the refurbishment offers treasures for journalists ranging from oceans, groundwater and land surfaces to the biosphere and atmosphere.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [21]
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [23]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [46]
Science [9]
Technology [49]
Water & Oceans [52]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Visibility:
Public [12]
- Read more about NASA Earthdata Offers a New Look at What Satellites See Down Here [62]

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