Publication Items

Grid Data Can Guide Reporting on Power Disasters [1]

The power and water fiasco that followed a deep freeze in Texas was a predictable debacle and, thus, a warning signal to journalists covering disasters and climate-driven weather extremes. To help, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox provides a rundown of data sources about power grids, from local, regional and national entities, and recommends you start tracking the numbers and be prepared.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Government [7]
Infrastructure [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Planning & Growth [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Grid Data Can Guide Reporting on Power Disasters [1]
“The Last Lions of Africa: Stories From the Frontline in the Battle To Save a Species” [16]

A straightforward but passionate new book explores efforts to save the big cat from extinction in “The Last Lions of Africa.” Our BookShelf review lauds the author for making clear the species’ complexity and the damage done by “sustainable” practices such as trophy hunting. And the loss ends not just with the lions. Read our review for the bigger picture.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
People & Population [20]
Wildlife [21]
Region:
International [22]
Africa [23]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about “The Last Lions of Africa: Stories From the Frontline in the Battle To Save a Species” [16]
Grant Helps Chart Illegal Rosewood’s 10,000-Mile Journey [24]

Two young journalists collaborated from continents apart — with the help of a Society of Environmental Journalists grant — to report on illicit trade in a highly prized timber. A new entry in our recently launched StoryLog column captures the whole process, from the spark of an idea, through research, a winning grant proposal, field reporting and published stories. Plus, lessons learned.

SEJ Publication Types:
FEJ StoryLog [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Biodiversity [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
Forests [27]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [28]
Region:
International [22]
Africa [23]
Asia [29]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Grant Helps Chart Illegal Rosewood’s 10,000-Mile Journey [24]
Could Hackers Poison Your Local Drinking Water? [30]

A computer hacker nearly succeeded recently in rendering a local Florida facility a source of poisonous drinking water. And the risk of other such hacks is real, even as the vulnerabilities are hidden behind stringent U.S. secrecy laws. The latest TipSheet explores dangers to our drinking water supply — which go well beyond future hacking.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Government [7]
Health [32]
Infrastructure [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
People & Population [20]
Pollution [33]
Technology [34]
Water & Oceans [35]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [36]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Could Hackers Poison Your Local Drinking Water? [30]
Biden’s EPA, Science Agencies, Face Test of News Media Openness [38]

Testimony from the incoming EPA administrator, along with a little-noticed memo on scientific integrity to Biden’s agency heads, suggest promising changes in government openness. But WatchDog contends the proof is yet to come and offers some advice to the administration. Plus, a letter from SEJ [39] listing some of the things Biden can do to improve relations with the news media.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [40]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [19]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [9]
Policy [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Biden’s EPA, Science Agencies, Face Test of News Media Openness [38]
Seeding Climate Stories in the Backyard Garden [42]

Spring may be weeks away, but gardeners are already browsing the seed catalogs, and that makes it a good time for environmental journalists to apprise them of how climate change will affect their backyard patches. Reporter’s Toolbox talks “hardiness zones” and explains why one of the usual repositories of government information may fall short. That plus, story sources to, well, cultivate.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [43]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Politics [19]
Food [44]
Journalism & Media [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Seeding Climate Stories in the Backyard Garden [42]
Small-Market Reporter Gives Readers Reason To Care [45]

Reporter Kyle Bagenstose has impressed Society of Environmental Journalists’ awards judges three times in the last four years with his investigative and small-market beat reporting on local and regional issues in Pennsylvania. In our latest Inside Story Q&A, Bagenstose discusses his award-winning work as a beat reporter and his first-place investigative prize for a series on the cleanup of toxic firefighting chemicals from streams and aquifers around military bases.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [47]
Environmental Health [48]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [33]
Waste [49]
Water & Oceans [35]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [50]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Small-Market Reporter Gives Readers Reason To Care [45]
Top Biden Climate Advisor, Others Preview 2021 Energy and Enviro News [51]

President Biden’s national climate advisor Gina McCarthy joined an outspoken U.S. senator and a roundtable of elite journalists last week to preview dramatic changes possibly ahead in U.S. and international climate policy, environmental justice, clean energy and more. Get the upshot from the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 2021 Guide to Energy & Environment event. Plus, watch video of the full program [52].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [19]
Government [7]
Health [32]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
People & Population [20]
Policy [41]
Science [54]
Water & Oceans [35]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
California [55]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [56]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [57]
Northwest (OR WA) [58]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [14]
International [22]
Europe [59]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Top Biden Climate Advisor, Others Preview 2021 Energy and Enviro News [51]
Super-Heated Year Ahead on Energy & Environment News [60]

The Biden administration has moved rapidly to reset energy and environment policies dramatically shifted by the Trump White House. But how quickly can such a reversal occur, what are the priorities and what are the critical pathways for change? To help sort out the latest news and track larger trends, SEJournal offers this overview and analysis, part of our extensive “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [61].”

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [62]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [43]
Air [63]
Biodiversity [18]
Chemicals [47]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [64]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [19]
Government [7]
Health [32]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Planning & Growth [11]
Policy [41]
Pollution [33]
Science [54]
Transportation [65]
Waste [49]
Water & Oceans [35]
Wildlife [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [22]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Super-Heated Year Ahead on Energy & Environment News [60]
“Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of the Anthropocene” [66]

A case study in how journalists can center environmental news around social justice is at the heart of a new volume of scholarly essays reviewed in the latest BookShelf. While its tale of rural residents poisoned by contaminants is decades old, its lesson of what happens when power players bank on media acquiescence holds for stories of today.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [47]
Environmental Politics [19]
Health [32]
Journalism & Media [9]
Military [67]
People & Population [20]
Pollution [33]
Region:
International [22]
Europe [59]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about “Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of the Anthropocene” [66]

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