WatchDog TipSheet

Info on Clean Water Priced Like Gold in Alaska

"When an environmental group, Alaskans for Clean Water, asked for copies of state records about an unsuccessful ballot proposal to limit mining pollution, officials initially said they would turn over the documents — for $50,000," the Associated Press reported October 20, 2008.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about Info on Clean Water Priced Like Gold in Alaska

Gumshoe Tools: Sunlight Foundation's Party Time Database

Those U.S. representatives and senators really know how to party. Especially the ones running for re-election or under indictment. Now journalists who want to follow the money have a new "Access Washington" snooper-tool to use in their investigative projects.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about Gumshoe Tools: Sunlight Foundation's Party Time Database

EPA, OSHA Flunk Science Openness Rating from UCS

EPA, FWS and OSHA are among the least open of 15 different federal agencies covered most frequently by environmental reporters, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about EPA, OSHA Flunk Science Openness Rating from UCS

New Blogs Alter News-O-Sphere, Open More Info to Journalists (Review)

As the corpses of newspapers litter the American landscape, they seem to fertilize the sprouting of a bumper crop of new blogs devoted to environment and energy. If you are looking for environmental news, you are mostly likely to find it online.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet

Topics on the Beat:

Journalism & Media

Visibility:

Public

Read more about New Blogs Alter News-O-Sphere, Open More Info to Journalists (Review)

Covering Congress: House Committee Phone Numbers

Committee staff are crucial to covering environmental issues. Here are some current House committee phone contacts relevant to the environment beat.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about Covering Congress: House Committee Phone Numbers

DOJ Guidance Offers Hook for Your FOIA Requests

Journalists' Freedom of Information Act requests will have more clout if they demand specific justification for each redaction. A new Justice Department guidance document makes clear this is mandatory for most agencies.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about DOJ Guidance Offers Hook for Your FOIA Requests

Coalition of Groups Readies Openness Agenda for Next Administration

A broad coalition of open-government groups is finalizing an ambitious agenda to improve public access to information in the next administration.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about Coalition of Groups Readies Openness Agenda for Next Administration

AREVA Bans Pens, Cameras, Recorders at SEJ's Lynchburg Nuclear Tour

AREVA, the world's largest builder of nuclear reactors, banned pens, recorders and cameras during a field trip to the company's Lynchburg facilities organized by SEJ during its 2008 annual meeting held in Roanoke, VA.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet

Topics on the Beat:

Nuclear Power & Radiation

Region:

National (U.S.)

Visibility:

Public

Read more about AREVA Bans Pens, Cameras, Recorders at SEJ's Lynchburg Nuclear Tour

Groups, Media Pitch Open-Government Proposals To New Administration

In an effort to increase government accountability and transparency, media groups put forward a new "21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda."

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility:

Read more about Groups, Media Pitch Open-Government Proposals To New Administration

TOOLBOX: Contractor Misconduct Database Offers Gumshoes Leads

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has a new tool for investigative journalists. Reporters can now snoop around the Federal Contractor Misconduct Database to find misdeeds by federal contractors.

SEJ Publication Types:

Topics on the Beat:

Region:

Visibility: