Backgrounders

Issue Backgrounder is a monthly SEJournal Online column to help journalists better cover emerging environmental issues, especially challenging or underreported topics. Each Backgrounder focuses on a specific environmental topic, offering key questions, basic answers, source contacts and other resources.

For questions and comments, or to suggest future Issue Backgrounders, email Backgrounder Editor Joseph A. Davis at sejournaleditor@sej.org.

Public

June 1, 2016

Lessons on Lead: Reporting on Drinking Water in Your Community

For environmental and health reporters across the country, the crisis in Flint, Mich., highlighted a long-festering and much larger problem with lead-tainted water, spurring us to ask: What about other places? What about my city?

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March 1, 2016

How Watershed Paris Summit Changes Climate Story

Climate Desk's Tim McDonnell relates his experience of the global climate change summit in Paris — and what it means for environmental journalists.

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December 15, 2015

Ignoring the Elephant in the (News)room

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October 15, 2014

Tracking the Fracking Boom

In this excerpt from the latest issue of SEJournal (Fall), Bobby Magill's special report offers coverage basics and questions to ask when you are reporting on the spread of shale oil and gas development.

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July 15, 2014

Realities of Coastal Living Often Forgotten, Until the Worst Hits

In the effort to help all coastal communities face with the realities that the Gulf of Mexico is their neighbor and sea level rise is inching up relentlessly, lessons can be learned from Louisiana as it works to adapt and to mitigate flood risk.

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Living in Harm’s Way: Louisiana’s Struggle Between Land and Sea

After Katrina, Louisiana may have hit the national spotlight for a time, but coastal communities elsewhere around the country will have to find their own answers to the question “Why does anyone still live there in harm’s way?” — even as more and more people move toward the coast and the water moves ever closer to them.

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October 15, 2013

Climate Adaptation Story Reaches Tipping Point

This special report on climate change adaptation will help environmental journalists better understand and cover this growing topic. Top-notch beat reporters share how to best get at the nuts and bolts of adaptation in coastal communities and agricultural ones, a leading communications thinker shares insights into the “message” of adaptation, and we provide snapshots of a few of the many noteworthy adaptation projects, as well as the special challenges faced in one developing nation.

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July 15, 2013

The Endangered Species Act at 40: Forty Things Journalists Should Know

John Platt, author of Scientific American's Extinction Countdown blog, offers up a great list of things that may help environmental journalists illuminate some of the issues in question as the Act prepares for its second 40 years. Photo: A California condor outfitted with tracking tags, courtesy USFWS.

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April 15, 2013

Elephant Wrangling on the Energy Beat

More than one observer has compared covering energy to the folk tale about the blind men who try to describe an elephant, and end up shouting at each other because they’ve each grasped a different part of the beast and believe their portion represents the whole thing. Freelancer Jennifer Weeks reports.

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January 15, 2013

Are We Ready for the Next Superstorm?

Francesca Lyman asks "What does Hurricane Sandy tell us about coping with human health and consequences of climate change?"

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Backgrounders

June 1, 2016

Lessons on Lead: Reporting on Drinking Water in Your Community

March 1, 2016

How Watershed Paris Summit Changes Climate Story

December 15, 2015

Ignoring the Elephant in the (News)room

October 15, 2014

Tracking the Fracking Boom

July 15, 2014

Realities of Coastal Living Often Forgotten, Until the Worst Hits

Living in Harm’s Way: Louisiana’s Struggle Between Land and Sea

October 15, 2013

Climate Adaptation Story Reaches Tipping Point

July 15, 2013

The Endangered Species Act at 40: Forty Things Journalists Should Know

April 15, 2013

Elephant Wrangling on the Energy Beat

January 15, 2013

Are We Ready for the Next Superstorm?

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