Photojournalists doing environmental stories have been harassed and blocked by federal police for a decade or more when they try to take pictures of federal facilities from public spaces. Now, under a court settlement, the federal government is publicly acknowledging that it is acting illegally when it does this.

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.

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.