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TipSheet is a biweekly source for story ideas, background, interview leads and reporting tools for journalists who cover news of the environment.

For questions and comments, or to suggest future TipSheets, email the TipSheet Editor Joseph A. Davis at sejournaleditor@sej.org.

Journalists can receive TipSheet free by subscribing to the SEJournal Online, the digital news magazine of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Subscribe to the e-newsletter here. TipSheet is also available through the searchable archive below and via RSS feed.


Latest TipSheet Items

May 2, 2017

  • Dozens of national monuments established in the last 20 years may lose their federally protected designation under a new order from the Trump administration. Find out which ones may have been targeted near you, how to find stories about the impact on public lands and who the players are in monument politics, in the latest TipSheet.

April 25, 2017

  • Looking for ways to focus on climate change impacts in your area? Dozens of climate marches taking place this Saturday around the United States and the globe may be your opportunity. The latest TipSheet has more, plus info on understanding regional impacts and how states and cities are increasingly in the driver's seat.

April 18, 2017

  • With the ever-adaptable coyote now present in almost all 50 states, environmental journalists can find numerous local stories on the shifting boundaries between human settlements and wildlife. The latest TipSheet has story angles and sources, plus the controversy over coyote killing.

April 11, 2017

  • With the White House trying to revive coal as a key component of the power grid, environmental reporters can find many stories in what's happening to individual plants in their area. The latest TipSheet walks you through locating local plants, digging deeper with databases and tracing regulation of non-CO2 pollutants.

April 4, 2017

  • The best public database of the risk management plans for many major hazardous sites has now been restored. The latest TipSheet has the backstory on government tracking of hazardous chemical facilities, an example of how the database was mined for some stellar reporting, and ideas for smart use of this powerful tool.

March 28, 2017

  • Rewinding the Clean Power Plan and its planned cuts in U.S. carbon emissions may not have the effect intended, reports this week's TipSheet. Why changes now underway in the electric power industry may have less to do with regulations than with the energy market itself. Plus, covering developments state by state.

March 21, 2017

  • Proposed budget reductions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could undermine the work of agencies as varied as National Weather Service and Sea Grant, as well as a satellite network informing much climate research. The latest TipSheet outlines NOAA stories that may emerge ... or vanish.

March 14, 2017

  • As the Trump administration proposes big cuts at environmental agencies like the U.S. EPA, the latest TipSheet explores how to dig up local angles from the budget action. Examples: Tracking changes at EPA regional offices and labs, at Superfund or at state revolving funds for clean water and safe drinking water programs.

March 7, 2017

  • As the Trump administration last week began its rollback of the Clean Water Rule, reporters are likely to see many more stories about wetlands permitting — especially on the local level. The latest TipSheet walks you through the Section 404 permitting maze and helps you find out what's happening in your locale and state.

February 28, 2017

  • As questions arise about how thoroughly the U.S. EPA's new administrator Scott Pruitt (left) will enforce environmental regulations, reporters can get at the story through EPA’s own exhaustive enforcement database. TipSheet provides a step-by-step on how to use data resources to follow trends and find bad actors. 

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