Features

Recent urban-interface infernos, fueled by climate change, leave no doubt that we have entered the age of runaway fire. Writer and ecologist Lauren Oakes writes that large-scale combustion is permanently reshaping ecosystems and societies as we learn to live with wildfire, not just fight it. Instead of perpetuating problematic approaches to forest management, experts call for confronting the root causes of this crisis and adopting science-informed responses.

Media coverage of “bugs” is often sensationalistic and centered on fear and disgust. But conservation photographer and writer Danae Wolfe says journalists should be highlighting the importance, beauty and plight of insects and spiders. Reporting that offers alternative perspectives on these essential creatures can inspire curiosity and admiration, and encourage efforts to protect them. Wolfe on why to write about insects.

With wildfires becoming more extreme in every way, reporters covering them face new challenges along with familiar hazards. A pair of experienced wildfire journalists and others on the front lines offer advice on dealing with access restrictions, on-the-ground dangers, toxic exposure risks and traumatized survivors — as climate change speeds up the news cycle and misinformation muddies the reporting landscape.

The Trump administration’s offensive against evidence-based research is making clear, accurate reporting on science more important than ever — because people who understand how scientific research works and what it tells us are less likely to be duped by misinformation or pseudoscience. SciLine director Matt DeRienzo on the challenges of the time and new resources to help journalists understand and explain evidence-based research.

Industry experts and government regulators have long known that radionuclides reside in oil and natural gas. Yet radioactive emissions and waste continue to threaten the lives of workers and community members across the country. Investigative journalist Justin Nobel on the opportunities and urgent need for reporters to drill into a story steeped in questions of accountability, health and justice.

How can environmental reporters best cover the upheavals of a second Trump administration? SEJournal commissioned a special analysis to draw on the experience of reporters who were there to chronicle the first. Contributing editor Jennifer Weeks spoke to more than half a dozen news veterans of Trump’s earlier environmental and energy policy initiatives, with insights and tips on how to handle what’s ahead.

To many, plants are a merely green backdrop, indistinguishable and inconsequential. But, freelancer Karen Mockler says that such “plant blindness” belies an urgent need for our notice. More than a third of the world’s trees and thousands of other plant species face extinction. Their plight — and their many blessings — offer perceptive journalists a wealth of reporting and storytelling opportunities. Mockler on why to write about plants.

Many journalists can’t imagine themselves writing an opinion piece, but veteran reporter Tim Wheeler suggests they reconsider. With public distrust of news media mounting and government willingness to inform plummeting, Wheeler says it’s more important than ever for journalists to explain what they do and why it matters. Advice and an annotated example: How to put on the opinion writer’s hat.

Stories focused on nonhuman animals are a quintessential part of environmental journalism. But how writers approach these stories is evolving, in step with changing views about animal consciousness and agency. Science journalist and author Karen Pinchin explores this trend and talks about anthropomorphism, anthropodenialism, metaphors, language, writing from the perspective of animal protagonists and more.

Illicit trade in wild animals and plants is a billion-dollar global business that threatens biodiversity and human health. Endless reporting opportunities range from exposing corruption and criminal networks to debunking claims about products derived from endangered species. Journalist Rene Ebersole shares insights from her 20 years on the trail of wildlife smugglers, poachers and other environmental lawbreakers — and introduces a new nonprofit dedicated to this beat.