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Prying Open the Statehouse Doors [1]

Reporting on environmental stories often leads to the state legislature, where key material can be frustratingly hard to access. Whether that’s because the state is deliberately hiding information, has poor systems for sharing it or isn’t even tracking it, there are ways to get what you need. Four seasoned environment reporters offer tips, tricks and commiseration.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Air [3]
Economy & Business [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Government [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Policy [11]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]
California [14]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [15]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [16]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [17]
Visibility: 
Public [18]
October 18, 2023

Webinar: Chemical Recycling — It’s Not What You Think It Is [19]

Join Ocean Conservancy policy expert Dr. Anja Brandon and colleagues from GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) and Eureka Recycling to discuss the science, policy landscape and industry push around chemical recycling. Audience Q&A to follow. 2:00 p.m. ET.

Other Events [20]
Visibility: 
Public [18]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [21]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [22]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Government [6]
Policy [11]
Pollution [24]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]
International [25]
October 25, 2023

SEJ Webinar: Mining Public Records To Unearth Air Pollution [26]

In this SEJ webinar, join California Newsroom reporter Molly Peterson and MuckRock data reporter Dillon Bergin to learn how to turn a question into an effective public records request; find the records you want and use them in your reporting; and see how you can use data from a recent investigation to scrutinize air pollution erased from the regulatory record near you. 1-2pm ET.

SEJ Regional Conferences [27]
Visibility: 
Public [18]
Topics on the Beat: 
Air [3]
Government [6]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [24]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]
October 1, 2025

DEADLINE: States Newsroom's Capital Reporting Fellowship [29]

States Newsroom's paid fellowship is for those who believe that journalism can be a powerful force for social good. This summer program places students and new journalists in newsrooms across the country. Preference given to applicants whose identities are underrepresented in journalism. Apply by Oct 1, 2025.

Workshops and Fellowships [30]
Visibility: 
Public [18]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]
October 20, 2023

Money in Politics: Reporting on Campaign Finance and Lobbying [31]

Journalists will play a crucial role in informing the public about who and what organizations are funding candidates, ballot measures and policy debates in Washington, D.C. and across the country. To help you with your reporting, the National Press Club Journalism Institute and OpenSecrets are hosting this training, 11:30 a.m. ET.

Other Events [20]
Visibility: 
Public [18]
Topics on the Beat: 
Economy & Business [4]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]

"Cleveland Accelerates Its Ambitions for Hitting Net Zero Energy" [33]

"Individual plans for the city and its neighbors include cutting building emissions, adding EV charging and solar capacity and cutting miles traveled by fossil-fueled vehicles, among other priorities."

Climate Change [34]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Public [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [35]
Source: Inside Climate News [36], 10/10/2023

Home Insurance Likely To Be a 2024 Climate Story Near You [37]

In the first of a two-parter for our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy, TipSheet looks at what climate-driven disasters mean for the home insurance market. Storms, floods and fire rip through communities, yet a federal insurance program falls short, lawmakers shy away from real reform and insurers grow hesitant to cover the risks, while homeowners often attempt to rebuild in the same problematic locales. Plus, see part two [38] on extreme weather and insurance.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [39]
Topics on the Beat: 
Climate Change [34]
Consumer [40]
Disasters [41]
Economy & Business [4]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [42]
Planning & Growth [43]
Policy [11]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]
California [14]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [16]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [44]
Visibility: 
Public [18]

"Alaska-Rooted Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau Is Stepping Down" [45]

"Tommy Beaudreau is stepping down from his post as the No. 2 official at the U.S. Interior Department. Beaudreau grew up in Alaska during the 1980s and has gone on to spend 10 years working at the Interior Department. He has worn several hats at Interior, including chief of staff and director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management."

Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [6]
Natural Resources [10]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Anchorage Daily News [46], 10/05/2023

CDC Data Offer Multiplicity of Starting Points for Environmental Health Stories [47]

For reporters seeking stories that connect environmental and health issues, there may be no better — or more wide-ranging — place to start than with high-quality data from the Centers for Disease Control’s wide range of datasets. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox looks into where the CDC’s data originates from and how that affects its usefulness, and offers up a helpful overview of CDC data surveys.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Reporters Toolbox [48]
Topics on the Beat: 
Environmental Studies [49]
Government [6]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [8]
Science [50]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility: 
Public [18]

Trump Administration Forced Joshua Tree To Stay Open During Last US Shutdown [51]

"Emails show David Bernhardt of interior department overrode superintendent of California park, causing ‘chaos and destruction’"

Environmental Politics [32]
Government [6]
Natural Resources [10]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [13]
Source: Guardian [52], 09/29/2023

Pages

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/features/prying-open-statehouse-doors [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/features [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [13] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [14] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [18] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [19] https://www.sej.org/calendar/webinar-chemical-recycling-it-s-not-what-you-think-it [20] https://www.sej.org/category/event-type/other-events [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [25] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [26] https://www.sej.org/calendar/sej-webinar-mining-public-records-unearth-air-pollution [27] https://www.sej.org/category/event-type/conferences/regional [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [29] https://www.sej.org/calendar/deadline-states-newsrooms-capital-reporting-fellowship [30] https://www.sej.org/category/event-type/workshops/fellowships [31] https://www.sej.org/calendar/money-politics-reporting-campaign-finance-and-lobbying [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [33] https://www.sej.org/headlines/cleveland-accelerates-its-ambitions-hitting-net-zero-energy [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [36] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08102023/cleveland-climate-plan-net-zero/ [37] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/home-insurance-likely-be-2024-climate-story-near-you [38] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/do-home-buyers-have-right-flood-risk-disclosure [39] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/cities-towns [44] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [45] https://www.sej.org/headlines/alaska-rooted-deputy-interior-secretary-tommy-beaudreau-stepping-down [46] https://www.adn.com/politics/2023/10/04/alaska-rooted-deputy-interior-secretary-tommy-beaudreau-is-stepping-down/ [47] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/cdc-data-offer-multiplicity-starting-points-environmental-health [48] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/reporter%E2%80%99s-toolbox [49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [50] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [51] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-administration-forced-joshua-tree-stay-open-during-last-us-shutdown [52] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/28/trump-david-bernhardt-joshua-tree-government-shutdown-national-parks [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=54 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=51 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=52 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=53 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=56 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=57 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=58 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=59 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government?page=277