Publication Items

Consumer Complaints Data Can Spark Stories on Environment, Energy [1]

States often keep consumer complaint data, and it may be available under public records laws. The nonprofit consumer group Truth in Advertising recently finished a review of all 50 U.S. states' consumer complaint databases — and how easy they were to access.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [3]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about Consumer Complaints Data Can Spark Stories on Environment, Energy [1]
The Buck Stops with "Senior Press Official Number One" [5]

One reason for thinking the White House endorses and enforces tight message control is the fact that many agency press secretaries come from a background of working on presidential elections campaigns. Journalism groups have raised their hopes now that a meeting with the White House has been scheduled mid-December. At the meeting will be representatives of SEJ, the Society of Professional Journalists and possibly others, representing concerns of a coalition of more than 50 other j-groups.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about The Buck Stops with "Senior Press Official Number One" [5]
Access to Places: A Few Basics for Journalists [7]

The University of Missouri "safe space" incident on Nov 9, 2015 rekindled questions and debate about journalists' First Amendment right of access to spaces. One of the best practical guides to law on this issue is the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press publication, "A Reporter's Field Guide."

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Region:
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [10]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about Access to Places: A Few Basics for Journalists [7]
SEJournal Summer 2007, Vol. 17 No. 2 [11]

In this issue: Taking readers on a journey; award winner focuses on eco damage being done now; investigative reporting can produce a ‘higher obligation’; effects of climate change on journalism; report probes multiple sources of global mercury pollution; studying smaller newspapers; basing coverage on scientific evidence; farm bill’s future environmental impacts; book reviews; and more.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJournal Online [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [13]
Climate Change [14]
Energy & Fuel [15]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [16]
Science [17]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about SEJournal Summer 2007, Vol. 17 No. 2 [11]
Chemical Plant Data Can Reveal Local Stories [18]

A disturbing story of poor chemical company compliance with environmental and safety rules was released October 22, 2015, by a watchdog group. It could have — and perhaps should have — been done by a news publication. And it shows the use journalists could make of several key databases.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [19]
Disasters [20]
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about Chemical Plant Data Can Reveal Local Stories [18]
Federal Advisory Committee Meetings All Too Often Closed to Public [21]

An important, but little-known, transparency law requires that FAC meetings be open to the public. But a new study shows that more than two-thirds of the time, they are not. On those committees, industry "experts" who have a financial stake may be telling agencies to ignore scientific findings in their regulation of things like environmental health and toxic chemicals.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about Federal Advisory Committee Meetings All Too Often Closed to Public [21]
How Transparent Is Your State? Check the Ratings [22]

The Center for Public Integrity systematically rated the 50 state governments on various measures of integrity. One of those was transparency. Only three states scored higher than D+.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about How Transparent Is Your State? Check the Ratings [22]
Liberals Unmuzzle Canadian Scientists; Will U.S. Scientists Be Next? [24]

The speed and ease of this Canadian revolution by incoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau belies the "common wisdom" among many jaded reporters and PR professionals that muzzling of U.S. government scientists and officials is somehow inevitable and woven into the culture of government.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [25]
Fish & Fisheries [26]
Government [6]
Science [17]
Region:
Canada [27]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about Liberals Unmuzzle Canadian Scientists; Will U.S. Scientists Be Next? [24]
White House Unveils Third Open Government "Action Plan" [28]

"Action" may be too strong a word. For that matter, "open" may be too strong a word. The Obama administration Tuesday unveiled its third "National Action Plan" at the international Open Government Partnership in Mexico. But note that many items are held over from the second plan because they have not yet been accomplished.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about White House Unveils Third Open Government "Action Plan" [28]
WyoFile Publishes Photos in Defiance of State's Censorship Law [29]

Wyoming's legislature calls it "data trespass." Really? The state in March 2015 made it illegal to collect and report information about stream pollution or other environmental harm — when it involves entering private land. One independent publication invited its readers to collect and post such potentially illegal photos.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [25]
Natural Resources [30]
Pollution [16]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [31]
Visibility:
Public [4]
- Read more about WyoFile Publishes Photos in Defiance of State's Censorship Law [29]

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