WatchDog

The WatchDog has been published by the Society of Environmental Journalists for nearly two decades, relentlessly alerting journalists of threats to their ability to gather information and do their jobs. In 2020, SEJournal relaunched the WatchDog in a new form — as a regularly published opinion column advocating open information in a personal voice. The “voice” of the WatchDog is that of columnist Joseph A. Davis (pictured, right), who has been advocating First Amendment freedom for all that time and who has been covering the environment journalistically since the 1970s. Read more about the relaunch of the WatchDog Opinion column. And find the 2008-early 2020 archives of the former WatchDog Tipsheet here.

For questions and comments, or to suggest future columns, email WatchDog Opinion Editor Joseph A. Davis at sejournaleditor@sej.org.

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Latest WatchDog Items

May 13, 2020

NEPA Rollback, EPA Science Rules Threaten Transparency; Plus, Pandemic Press Restrictions?

A long-standing law designed to protect public information about environmental impacts is facing an unfavorable overhaul, while a proposal dictating how EPA uses scientific findings in its rulings is nearing finalization. WatchDog has those items, plus how states are using the COVID-19 pandemic to restrict press and more.

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April 15, 2020

Coronavirus Threatens Health of U.S. Journalism, Plus Climate ‘Blackout’ & Disabling FOIA

The economic fallout from COVID-19 is severely damaging the news business, but may also point to transformative new ways of doing journalism, writes columnist Joseph A. Davis in the latest WatchDog. Meanwhile, the coronavirus-climate connection shows the importance of good, scientifically sound journalism. And are federal agencies leaning on COVID-19 to slow FOIA actions?

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March 25, 2020

‘Nasty-Grams’ Return, Plus Wrangling Over FOIA Rules at EPA, Interior

In the second of a two-part return from hiatus recast as an opinion column from SEJournal Online’s Joseph A. Davis, WatchDog looks at freedom of information developments at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior. Plus, check out part one for more on the column relaunch and for background on open-information activities by the Society of Environmental Journalists, as well as a look at the lack of government openness around coronavirus.

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March 18, 2020

SEJournal Relaunches WatchDog with a ‘Voice,’ Plus Coronavirus and More

SEJournal welcomes back from hiatus our WatchDog feature, now recast as an opinion column from Joseph A. Davis, Society of Environmental Journalists’ veteran freedom of information advocate and longtime SEJournal contributor. In part one of a two-parter, find out why we’re relaunching the new column, plus get Davis’ take on government openness (or lack thereof) around coronavirus, as well as more on SEJ’s deep commitment to open information and a rundown of its recent FOI activities. And watch for part two next week.

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WatchDog

Latest WatchDog Items

May 13, 2020

NEPA Rollback, EPA Science Rules Threaten Transparency; Plus, Pandemic Press Restrictions?

April 15, 2020

Coronavirus Threatens Health of U.S. Journalism, Plus Climate ‘Blackout’ & Disabling FOIA

March 25, 2020

‘Nasty-Grams’ Return, Plus Wrangling Over FOIA Rules at EPA, Interior

March 18, 2020

SEJournal Relaunches WatchDog with a ‘Voice,’ Plus Coronavirus and More

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