Publication Items

EPA Beefs Up ECHO Database for Drinking Water Enforcement

U.S. EPA's refinement of ECHO's search engine for drinking water violations should make it possible for journalists to ask much more sophisticated and complex questions — but the usual caveats apply.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Technology
Water & Oceans
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about EPA Beefs Up ECHO Database for Drinking Water Enforcement
You Aren't Allowed To Know How Much of Your Coal Is Being Sold (Cheap?)

The vast coal seams below federally owned lands in the West are a resource owned by the American people as a whole — and when rights to mine them are sold to coal companies, it is supposed to be on terms that are in the public interest. So you'd think public scrutiny via open information would be a given. The Interior Department says not, recently denying a FOIA request for this information. Image: © Clipart.com.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel
Laws & Regulations
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about You Aren't Allowed To Know How Much of Your Coal Is Being Sold (Cheap?)
SEJ Objects To Prosecution of Journalists Covering Pipeline Protests

UPDATE: The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) on Oct 19, 2016 wrote law enforcement officials at the state and federal levels, objecting to prosecution of journalists who have been covering protests against the Dakota Access Pipe Line and other pipelines. The prosecutor who charged Democracy Now's Amy Goodman has responded to SEJ's letter.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel
Journalism & Media
Laws & Regulations
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about SEJ Objects To Prosecution of Journalists Covering Pipeline Protests
"There Is Still Time: To Look at the Big Picture...and Act"

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change
Natural Resources
People & Population
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about "There Is Still Time: To Look at the Big Picture...and Act"
"Cloak and Jaguar: Following a Cat from Desert to Courtroom"

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf
Topics on the Beat:
Government
Wildlife
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about "Cloak and Jaguar: Following a Cat from Desert to Courtroom"
"From Green to Mean: The GOP’s Downward Environmental Spiral"

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about "From Green to Mean: The GOP’s Downward Environmental Spiral"
Social Media for Freelancers: How I Learned To Love Twitter

Freelancer Eva Holland shares her story of how Twitter, over time, became her most important tool to chase new, more rewarding and more lucrative assignments.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Social Media for Freelancers: How I Learned To Love Twitter
Newly Leaked: CRS Explainers To Help Environmental Journalists

The Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy publishes leaked copies of Congressional Research Service research papers. Here are a few recent ones of use to environmental journalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture
Biodiversity
Climate Change
Energy & Fuel
Health
Technology
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Newly Leaked: CRS Explainers To Help Environmental Journalists
Reporters Committee, Others Launch FOIA Wiki Beta: Help Is on the Way

A promising new resource has begun helping reporters trying to use the Freedom of Information Act to pry loose government information relevant to their stories. The "FOIA Wiki" is a collaborative and explanatory collection of information meant to help you.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Government
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Reporters Committee, Others Launch FOIA Wiki Beta: Help Is on the Way
NFOIC Meets Amid New Open-Government Challenges of Digital Revolution

Investigative journalism is hardly about paper documents anymore. The cutting edge today is more likely to be requests for emails, as well as text messages, chats and other electronic communications such as Slack. This big challenge was front and center at the recent meeting of the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Government
Laws & Regulations
Technology
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about NFOIC Meets Amid New Open-Government Challenges of Digital Revolution

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