Publication Items

Pavillion, Wyo., Fracking Study Unplugged with FOIA [1]

In 2011, EPA produced — and subsequently buried — a draft report on fracking contamination at Pavillion, Wyoming. Now one of the authors of the original draft has co-published a review of the research in the independent journal Environmental Science & Technology. The new study, based on FOIA'd documents, links fracking and polluted wells.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [3]
Environmental Politics [4]
Pollution [5]
Water & Oceans [6]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Pavillion, Wyo., Fracking Study Unplugged with FOIA [1]
Nine Years After Request for FEMA Katrina Records: Nothing [9]

The Project on Government Oversight FOIA'd FEMA/DHS in 2006 for documents that might reveal hanky-panky with billions of dollars in Hurricane Katrina recovery contracts. In December 2015, DHS finally wrote POGO to say that disclosing the records would constitute an "unwarranted invasion of privacy."

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [10]
Economy & Business [11]
Environmental Politics [4]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [12]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Nine Years After Request for FEMA Katrina Records: Nothing [9]
Did Big Food Just Lose the GMO Disclosure War? [13]

Tens of millions have been spent on lobbying and advertising by the mainstream food industry to defeat a series of state-by-state measures requiring food labels to disclose GMO content. Now, Vermont is poised to implement a GMO-labelling law.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Food [14]
Laws & Regulations [15]
Region:
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [16]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Did Big Food Just Lose the GMO Disclosure War? [13]
Senate Passes FOIA Improvement Bill [17]

The Senate March 15, 2016, unanimously passed a bill (S 337) improving the 50-year-old Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). But the appearance of bipartisan consensus may belie a rocky road to final enactment in a highly politicized election year.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Senate Passes FOIA Improvement Bill [17]
The Path to Better Investigative Science Reporting [18]

In the latest Reporter's Toolbox, Climate Central senior science writer John Upton defines investigative science reporting’s major role, and shares his personal nine ways to do the job better.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [20]
Forests [21]
Journalism & Media [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Europe [24]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about The Path to Better Investigative Science Reporting [18]
Finding the Right Fit for Journalism Fellowships [25]

For this edition of EJ Academy, MU journalism master's grad Caleb O'Brien surveyed SEJ academics and current and former students to get tips on finding the best internships — and making the most of the experience. Excerpted from the Spring 2016 SEJournal.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [26]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Finding the Right Fit for Journalism Fellowships [25]
Will Journalists Heed the Lessons of Flint? [27]

SEJ’s WatchDog Project director Joseph A. Davis analyzes local and regional media's role in reporting — or not — the Flint water debacle.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [29]
Environmental Politics [4]
Health [30]
Water & Oceans [6]
Region:
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Will Journalists Heed the Lessons of Flint? [27]
Environmental Sleuthing Toolbox [32]

This special issue of SEJ's WatchDog celebrated "Sunshine Week," the national reminder that freedom of information and open government are essential for a working democracy. Lots of info is available for environmental reporters about pollutants and hazards that can harm people. Our Sunshine toolbox is ... well ... full of flashlights — environmental databases that can help you see things. Categories include chemicals, disasters, energy, health and pollution. Shine on!

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Environmental Sleuthing Toolbox [32]
Data Journalism Tools and Tips from MIT [33]

The availability of government data has soared over the last decade — offering a huge opportunity for watchdog journalists to find stories that advance the public interest. The environmental beat is the Saudi Arabia of data (yes, that means vast, rich, accessible, and untapped reserves).
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [22]
Technology [34]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Data Journalism Tools and Tips from MIT [33]
Trump Hopes To Use Libel Laws To Get at Journalists [35]

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is promising to toughen libel laws to get back at news media who "write purposely negative and horrible and false articles." Especially those that criticize him. Photo: By Marc Nozell [36] (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 [37]].

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [22]
Laws & Regulations [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Trump Hopes To Use Libel Laws To Get at Journalists [35]

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