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

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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September 15, 2012

Bridging the Journalism/Science Divide, Professions Seek New Ways To Collaborate

Bud Ward, editor of The Yale Forum on Climate Change & The Media, writes about the ways for these two disciplines to get along and learn from each other — while preserving their own independence and remaining loyal to their underlying principles.

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April 15, 2012

Getting into the (Clean Water) Act

InvestigateWest's Robert McClure gets into the (clean water) act by asking, "Four decades later, is our water cleaner?" You'll find shocking answers and a flood of ways to localize this issue.

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Are Meteorologists Environmental Journalists?

The answer is Yes. No. Maybe … and it depends.

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October 15, 2011

Covering Trauma, Surviving Trauma and Gaining New Insight into How To Handle It

Miami-based radio news director Dan Grech recounts his journey covering the traumatic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, becoming homeless thanks to Hurricane Wilma, his subsequent training on trauma reporting, and shares his lessons learned with you.

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July 15, 2011

BP Blowout: Lessons from Gulf Oil Disaster

Everything from the social media’s importance to the need for a detailed disaster plan — Robert A. Thomas, professor and director of the Center for Environmental Communication, School of Mass Communication at Loyola University in New Orleans, outlines 17 take-away lessons for journalists.

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Enterprising Stories Stand Out in Recent Disaster Coverage — From Japan to Texas

Here's a sampling of coverage of recent extreme weather disasters, with particular focus on a few of the many enterprise stories that emanated from four clusters of events — the tsunami-caused crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant, drought and wildfires in Texas, death-dealing tornadoes in the Southeast and massive flooding in the Mississippi River system.

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April 15, 2011

For Climate Change Reporters, Here's an Essential Reading List

Reporters new to the climate change issue and those having to immerse themselves into it while also grappling with a range of other important environmental (and, given the nature of today’s newsrooms, also non-environmental) issues might try these "must see" resources and websites.

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January 15, 2011

Tiny Bits of Silver, Used As Bacteria-Eaters, Emerge As New Health Concern

Rae Tyson reports there may well be a connection between odor-resistant socks and an emerging health and environmental concern.

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Backgrounders

April 15, 2013

Elephant Wrangling on the Energy Beat

January 15, 2013

Are We Ready for the Next Superstorm?

September 15, 2012

Bridging the Journalism/Science Divide, Professions Seek New Ways To Collaborate

April 15, 2012

Getting into the (Clean Water) Act

Are Meteorologists Environmental Journalists?

October 15, 2011

Covering Trauma, Surviving Trauma and Gaining New Insight into How To Handle It

July 15, 2011

BP Blowout: Lessons from Gulf Oil Disaster

Enterprising Stories Stand Out in Recent Disaster Coverage — From Japan to Texas

April 15, 2011

For Climate Change Reporters, Here's an Essential Reading List

January 15, 2011

Tiny Bits of Silver, Used As Bacteria-Eaters, Emerge As New Health Concern

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