By BUD  WARD

The hard truth of the matter is that few of the reporters most likely to read this column will be in a good position to ask the presidential election front runners or nominees penetrating questions about environmental policy.

Few of them may have the opportunity, even briefly along a rope line, to probe a candidate's familiarity with "cap and trade" versus carbon taxes, wetlands restoration versus coastal development, nuclear energy versus coal versus biofuels versus conservation.

By DAVID POULSON

New story-telling forms are the big buzz in journalism. Seconds after you suggest an idea, chances are an editor demands that you grab a quick video interview for theWeb.

Maybe your art department inserts information that pops up on a graphic at the touch of a mouse. Perhaps you're narrating slideshows.

   The new SEJ book award, along with plans for an increased emphasis on environmental books at this year's SEJ annual conference in Roanoke, VA, are reflections of an increasing interest in environmental book publishing among SEJ members.  Yet trends in the national marketplace of ideas seem paradoxical.

Two environmental books have topped the bestseller list in recent years—Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and Glenn Beck's An Inconvenient Book. (See page 11). That both would rise to the top of the market may seem to be a bit of a paradox.

By JOSEPH A. DAVIS

SEJ's efforts to roll back some of the government secrecy that has made reporters' jobs more difficult over the last decade won some ground since last year.

Working through its Freedom of Information Task Force, often with other journalism groups, SEJ's advocacy of open government posted successes on a variety of fronts. In fact, SEJ has often led the way for other groups.

Sunshine Week 2007 Audit Project

The agenda for SEJ's 18th Annual Conference — Oct. 15-19 —continues to develop as a number of stars in the journalism community have committed, including legendary author Wendell Berry and former NPR Morning Edition host Bob Edwards.

 By BILL DAWSON

Layoffs and buyouts. Orders for shorter stories. Proliferating blogs. MoJos (that's "mobile journalists" for the uninitiated) hunting for breaking news.

 By CHERYL HOGUE
 

We don't have a lot of information about many of the industrial chemicals that are in our air, water and soil, or those that are increasingly found in our blood.

This dearth of data often leaves audiences hanging when journalists report about pollution and biomonitoring. Too often, scientists just can't tell us what the presence of Chemical X in our bodies means.

By BILL KOVARIK
 

The new SEJ book award, along with plans for an increased emphasis on environmental books at this year's SEJ annual conference in Roanoke, VA, are reflections of an increasing interest in environmental book publishing among SEJ members. Yet trends in the national marketplace of ideas seem paradoxical.

By STEVE WEINBERG

Listening to Cougar

By Marc Bekoff and Cara Blessley Lowe, editors
University Press of Colorado $24.95

Reviewed by David Baron

Compared with North America's other apex predators, cougars get little respect. Whether measured by screen time on the Discovery Channel or dollars raised for their protection, wolves and grizzlies gain the lion's share of attention.