Publication Items

Congress Too Busy Electioneering To Make Mandated Reports Public [1]

It's hard to believe that some of the reports Congress demands of federal agencies are not available to the public. But it's true — not because the reports are classified but because neither the agencies nor Congress bothers to publish them.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Congress Too Busy Electioneering To Make Mandated Reports Public [1]
Report: Despite Promises, Obama Hasn't Improved Open-Info Much [6]

As soon as he arrived in office, President Obama promised to bring an unprecedented openness to the federal government. A mid-term report by a watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, concludes that Obama's promise has yet to be met.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Report: Despite Promises, Obama Hasn't Improved Open-Info Much [6]
MSHA Watchdog Journalist Gets FOIA Records After 7 Years [7]

Is the federal government covering up mine disasters? The Mine Safety and Health Administration was certainly not going out of its way to dispel that impression when it waited seven years to produce records sought by Ellen Smith, editor of Mine Safety and Health News.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [8]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about MSHA Watchdog Journalist Gets FOIA Records After 7 Years [7]
Spill Commission: Obama Admin Blocked Release of Oil Flow Data [9]

"The White House blocked efforts by federal scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could have been, according to a panel appointed by President Barack Obama to investigate the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Spill Commission: Obama Admin Blocked Release of Oil Flow Data [9]
SEJ: A Rare Flower of International Distinction [10]

We SEJ-ers have been bragging for a long time that at any given time, we represent roughly 1,500 members in more than 30 countries. And a few years ago, we helped set up a group like SEJ in Mexico. But the idea that SEJ exists around the world has truly come home this year. Read more from SEJ President Christy George.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ Presidents Report [11]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [8]
Region:
International [12]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about SEJ: A Rare Flower of International Distinction [10]
NOAA Tool Provides Historical Hurricane Insights [13]

More than 150 years of historical hurricane information, including accompanying population data, for coastal US locations impacted by these storms may be a helpful tool for preparing for and covering this issue locally.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [15]
Government [3]
Disasters [16]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about NOAA Tool Provides Historical Hurricane Insights [13]
Nonfederal Rangeland Often in Poor Shape [17]

USDA and USGS researchers found about one of every five acres of rangelands in 17 western states, as well as portions of Louisiana and Florida, has some degree of degradation of at least one factor (soil and site stability, hydrologic integrity, and biotic integrity).
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [15]
Natural Resources [18]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [19]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [20]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [21]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Nonfederal Rangeland Often in Poor Shape [17]
'Follow the Money' at State Level During Campaigns [22]

The National Institute on Money in State Politics collects data about spending related to state-level races in all 50 states, codes and collates it, and presents it all in a searchable online database.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about 'Follow the Money' at State Level During Campaigns [22]
Many Environmental Issues Are on 2010 Ballots [23]

Specific or broad environmental issues could play a role as voters decide which candidate to choose in many races. At the same time, the environment continues to score way down the list, according to pollsters, when voters are asked about all their priorities.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [14]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Environmental Politics [24]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Many Environmental Issues Are on 2010 Ballots [23]
Cell-Phone Industry Seeks To Silence Right-to-Know Demands [25]

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has filed suit against San Francisco in response to a right-to-know ordinance it passed guaranteeing consumers information about how much electromagnetic radiation their cell phones were exposing them to.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [26]
Health [27]
Consumer [28]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Cell-Phone Industry Seeks To Silence Right-to-Know Demands [25]

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