8 rural-related stories win Sigma Delta Chi awards, including reports on ICE, inequalities, firefighters, environment, etc.

Illustration from ProPublica story about Hurricane Helene and Yancey County, North Carolina

Eight rural-related stories were among winners of Sigma Delta Chi Awards for 2025, announced Thursday night by the Society of Professional Journalists (formerly Sigma Delta Chi) and the SPJ Foundation.

Investigate TV+, a unit of Gray Television, and KFF Health News won the award for broadcast coverage of inequalities in society with a package of three stories called "Dead Zone," explaining that millions of Americans "live sicker, shorter lives in hundreds of rural counties where doctor shortages are the worst and poor internet connections mean little or no access to telehealth services."

The award for public-service radio reporting in small markets went to North Country Public Radio of upstate New York for its report on the ICE raid on a dairy farm, which led to the release of a motherf and three children who were in a detention center awating deportation. "This issue is one that's forcing dairy farmers to sell their herds," the judges wrote. Here's the summary of the coverage and reaction.

Jennifer Berry Hawes, Cassandra Garibay and Mollie Simon of ProPublica won for "Helene's Unheard Warnings" in the category of non-deadline reporting in a publication with a print circulation of more than 40,000 or an online-only piublication. Their package of stories spotlighted the lack of evacuation orders, the hurricane's devastation and survival stories in Yancey County, North Carolina.

Hannah Dreier of The New York Times won the Public Service in Journalism award for her stories on the suffering of firefighters sent into fires by the U.S. Forest Service without warnings of toxic smoke and gases, and with a ban on wearing masks.

Dave Biscobing of KNXV in Phoenix won the large-market TV feature reporting award for his investigation of the sheriff in Prescott, Ariz., pop. 46,000, and "one man’s fight to prove self-defense against a top small-town fire official," as the report describes it.

The award for TV feature in small markets went to Kevin Kelly of KLRT in Little Rock for his story about a family in Vilonia, Ark., who saw their home and classic-car collection devastated by a tornado that killed nine people and injured dozens more in the town of 4,500. They restored the four cars a second time.  

Elise Plunk of the Louisiana Illuminator, Eva Tesfaye of WWNO in New Orleans and Chas Sisk of the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk won an award for a story on how an accidental delta taught scientists how to rebuilt wetlands. They won in the category for science or environment reporting in a publication with a print circulation up to 40,000 or an affiliated website.

The broadcast award in that category also went to a Louisiana story, "The True Cost of Fertilizer,"
by Garrett Hazelwood and Eric Schmid of "Sea Change" at WRKF in Baton Rouge and WWNO, with support from the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk, based at the University of Missouri.

The awards program also included announcement of the top Mark of Excellence Award for College Journalism, which went to a rural story: "Broadband’s broken promise: How federal failures and funding fights keep Native and Black farmers offline," done by Melissa Dai of Northwestern University during her summer internship with Investgate Midwest. The story had won the MOE award for investigative reporting, then was judged to be the top piece of college journalism in 2025.

Local reporters can use NASA data for stories on weather events, groundwater, wildfires, conservation and more

Data from NASA satellites can add reliable, science-based 
insights to local reporting. (NASA graphic)

Environmental journalists seeking data on planet Earth can dig into troves of NASA information. "NASA actually flies its own Earth-exploring satellites, which collect massive amounts of data in their own right," reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

And while the Trump administration succeeded in hacking off a massive portion of the agency's budget, NASA has been busy improving its data site. . .anyway.

The agency now boasts a "nifty refurbished site called Earthdata. NASA says the upgrade — which they call the web unification project — will take the rest of 2026," Davis explains. "It looks better already, because it’s organized by what you are looking for. It’s no longer rocket science."

Davis adds the following "treasures" for reporters looking for environmental data that is gathered in space but grounded in science. 

• Groundwater: NASA offers several datasets that measure groundwater depletion. It also measures land subsidence from depletion.
• Cryosphere: NASA data tells about snow cover, sea ice extent, ice thickness, permafrost, snow and ice albedo (reflectivity), glacier loss, ice sheets and more.
• Land Surface: Satellites are telling us about shrinking forests, warming land, soil erosion, vegetation types, land use, topography, soil moisture, wildfires, floods and landslides.
• Atmosphere: Satellites tell us much about Earth’s 60-mile-thick atmosphere, including pollutants like particulates, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, dust and smoke. . . .weather-related data.
• Biosphere: Satellites measure vegetation types, vegetation extent and condition, canopy height, deforestation, habitat types and conditions, biomass types, conservation of protected areas, algal blooms, nighttime lights and more.
• Ocean: Most of what NASA satellites see is water. They send back data on sea surface temperature, salinity, ocean color, sea surface height (for ENSOs), nutrients, chlorophyll, ocean currents, sea level rise, biogeochemical cycles, waves and winds, nutrients and tsunamis.
• Human Dimensions: Satellites see what humans do to the planet, including agricultural practices, housing development, and land and water management.

Local journalists who cover community planning can use EPA's 'Walkability Index' to help with stories

Visitors to wine and water tourist-haven Door County, Wis., might be surprised that the county has few sidewalks, which leaves the area with below-average walkability scores (in yellow and orange). Click to enlarge.

When local officials include walkability in their community plans, it benefits the environment, local businesses and residents. It's also an important factor for journalists to understand and explore.

To help measure walkability, the Environmental Protection Agency offers a National Walkability Index for "zoning boards, planners and public works departments [and] the reporters who cover them," reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists. Access the index here.

The EPA's tool uses high-quality data, and "It’s mapped," Davis adds. "There’s an intuitive, searchable, zoomable online map product with an easy-to-use, fast interface."

Walkability ratings include things such as "sidewalks, crossings, transit stops, etc. Ultimately, these things are drawn from the EPA’s Smart Location Mapping database," Davis writes. "The EPA sorts places into rural, suburban, urban and downtown."

This database can help journalists report on what planners refer to as the "built environment," Davis reports. "Walkability requires good local government decisions and adequate local resources. That means money. . . . A lot of local government decisions and resources go into walkability."

Uncovering your community's walkability data is just the beginning of a story. "You still have to talk to people on the street, … er, sidewalk," Davis adds. "As always, check and groundtruth everything you can."

Quick hits: Visit the last linotype machine newspaper; 'app store accountability' law; memoir celebrates snail mail delivery; small town battle over Buc-ee's

While other papers have transitioned to computer technology, the Saguache Crescent remains the country's last linotype machine newspaper, reports Jared Ewy for The Daily Yonder. While other newspapers use keyboards, this small-town Colorado paper continues to use heat and metal to produce the news, just as it has since 1882. "News outlets from around the world have come to visit and pay tribute to the century-old linotype machine," Ewy reports. "At the Crescent, a keystroke sends us through time and into an America dominated by heavy, hot industry. When even the words were made of molten labor. Letters and characters are hammered with Steampunk gusto on different-sized mattes and assembled into information."

In a bid to protect minors from downloading apps with questionable content, Louisiana became the third state "to pass what it described as an 'app store accountability' law, joining Texas and Utah in instituting such legislation," reports Christ Teale of Route Fifty. The bill requires app stores conducting business in Louisiana to "identify when users are children and obtain parental consent before apps can be downloaded." Louisiana's law also requires app stores to include age-appropriate ratings and "prevents them from enforcing terms of service on minor users without parental consent."

The U.S. Postal Service and its brave mail carriers helped shape the nation, and some would contend, it's part of the glue still holding the country together. "The Postal Service is America’s first miracle and among its most endangered, threatened by private delivery services, email, texting and the pensions owed to retired carriers," writes David Von Drehle for The Washington Post. "Memoirist Stephen Starring Grant offers a highly personal, utterly charming tribute to this American treasure in his new book, Mailman. . . .The Postal Service, he convincingly argues, is far from outdated; it is the embodiment of an indivisible nation."

A drama pitting anti-sprawl conservation against a beaver-booming, mega-gas station continues to unfold in the small western town of Palmer Lake, Colorado. "Emotions have boiled over in Palmer Lake since the Texas-based Buc-ee’s chain — featuring a grinning beaver mascot — targeted undeveloped land along Interstate 25 for a new outlet: a 74,000-square-foot store with 60 gas pumps and parking for nearly 800 cars, open 24 hours a day," reports Jim Carlton of The Wall Street Journal. "It has become an epic battle over the soul of the American West — and it has descended into accusations of harassment, slashed tires, crude name-calling and vicious private texts made public."

Thousands of American children have type 1 diabetes, which, when treated, can mean a lifetime of carrying equipment and a list of activity restrictions that can make kids feel self-conscious. To help ease some of those challenges, Mattel released a Barbie with the disease. "The latest Barbie slays in a chic blue polka-dot crop top, ruffled miniskirt, chunky heels and an insulin pump. She is the brand’s first doll with type 1 diabetes," reports Brenda Goodman of CNN News. "Dollmaker Mattel worked with Breakthrough T1D, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, to design the doll, which aims to represent the roughly 304,000 kids and teens living with type 1 diabetes in the United States . . . . The new Barbie comes with an insulin pump, a glucose monitor and snacks to help her control her blood sugar."

With all the business of life, it's still important to take time to look up and see what going on in our skies. On the mornings of July 21 and 22, the Moon, Venus and Jupiter will provide a beautiful scene "with the crescent Moon and Venus, plus several bright stars. And if you have a clear view toward the horizon, Jupiter is there too, low in the sky," writes Preston Dyches for NASA. During the entire month of July, the Eagle constellation, Aquila, "appears in the eastern part of the sky during the first half of the night. Its brightest star, Altair, is the southernmost star in the Summer Triangle, which is an easy-to-locate star pattern in Northern Hemisphere summer skies."

The Natural Resources Defense Council offers a new map of lead pipes, which are a problem in all 50 states

For investigative reporters tracking lead pipes that still deliver drinking water, the Natural Resources Defense Council’s new Lead Pipe Data Map Tool is a smart place to start exploring.

“Whether you want the local or the national perspective, this data map looks to be the most current and detailed available,” reports Joseph A. Davis of the Society of Environmental Journalists. “We care about lead in drinking water because it is a neurotoxin that robs children of IQ points and causes a host of other health problems, even in adults.”

The news about lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan, may have sparked outrage, but “lead pipes in water systems are a serious problem in all 50 states,” Davis writes. “The Environmental Protection Agency updated its Lead and Copper Rule in October 2024. . . .The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of November 2021, committed $15 billion to fund the replacement of lead service lines that take water from mains to individual buildings (the main source of the problem).”

Under the new Lead and Copper Rule, all drinking water systems must inventory their lead service lines and report their findings to the EPA. “Much of the data comes from the EPA as utilities report in,” Davis explains. “The map not only tallies known lead service lines — but also service lines whose metal composition is unknown or estimated.”

To use the data efficiently, focus on the NRDC’s mapping tools and remember that utility service areas can differ from municipal boundaries. Davis reports, “One of the nifty features NRDC gives you is the ability to add multiple overlays to the map as you use it.” 

Find the tiny icons in the top-left and top-right corners of the map to alter map layers. The mapping overlay feature can also show active lead pipes according to their congressional district.

While data and numbers don’t tell the full story, they provide a good foundation for a narrative to take shape. Davis also advises gathering information from your community:

• Ask water customers about their awareness of lead pipes carrying drinking water. What's their ability to pay for service line replacement?
• Talk to utilities about their plans and concerns regarding pipe replacement. 
• Discuss drinking water safety and remaining lead pipes with state and EPA/state regulators.
• Ask your congressperson how budget cuts could affect funding for this critical work.

Green 'hackers' rescue, repost environmental research data tools for public use

A screenshot of a rescued EPA data mapping tool.  
(PEDA website image via SEJ Toolbox)

Green geeks deploy their techy-search-and-rescue powers to help environmental science research get back online.

"As environmental data goes missing, these are times when hackers can be heroes to journalists. Meet Public Environmental Data Partners," writes Joseph A. Davis of SEJ Toolbox. "It’s a loose coalition of programmers and developers who are reversing the Trump administration’s removal of politically inconvenient data from the internet. . . . Once the data is rescued, they put it into usable form — searchable, visible, map-formatted and downloadable."

Where did the data come from? The content was originally on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website, but a few months ago, it disappeared. That helpful EJScreen data tool? Gone. "Well, gone from the website of the but not from the web," Davis adds. "A group called the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative, better known as EDGI, preserved the data before it vanished, and Public Environmental Data Partners set up the interface for using it. Toolbox applauds."

Public Environmental Data Partners has worked on several data rescue missions. Their growing list is here. Davis writes, "The list includes lots of Energy Department data: the Energy Justice Dashboard, the Wind Energy Community Benefits Database, etc. It includes pipeline data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. . . . And more. Not all are gone yet and not all are back online yet, but they are working on it."

Groups contributing to the Public Environmental Data Partners include:
The CAFE Research Coordinating Center at Harvard and Boston University
The Catalyst Cooperative
Earth Hacks
The End of Term Web Archive
Environmental Policy Innovation Center
Fulton Ring
Internet Archive (Wayback Machine)
Open Environmental Data Project
Rooted Futures Lab

"A lot of things containing the word climate are disappearing," Davis writes. "But they do not sleep silently with the fishes. Data wants to be free."

Without key personnel, dam safety may falter. Watchdogging reporters can help protect their communities.

Part of Oroville Dam broke allowing water to the right 
of main spillway to flow downstream. (Wikipedia photo)

The Trump administration fired the entire National Dam Safety Review Board, which provided federal oversight to ensure U.S. dams remain structurally sound and functional. Without key employees to inspect, maintain and run dams, they could pose a risk to surrounding lands and communities.

"When a major dam fails, people’s lives could be lost and property destroyed, writes Joseph A Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists. "Right now the best hope many residents in harm’s way have for staying safe is watchdogging by environmental journalists."

Some dam details:

• The 2017 Oroville Dam crisis is an example of what can happen when a dam is compromised.
• The National Dam Safety Review Board is only one part of the federal dam safety program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• States regulate roughly 70% of the country's dams.
• Most U.S. dams are privately owned and state-regulated.

Story ideas:

• Take a look at the National Inventory of Dams and locate any “high hazard” dams in your state. What populated areas would their failure threaten?
• Find out what condition those dams are in. This may be harder. When were they last inspected and what was their rated condition? Can you get the inspection report? Try your state engineer.
• Do the high-hazard dams in your area have “emergency action plans?” Can you get a copy? Will the plan keep people safe? Who’s in charge of notification and evacuation?
• Who regulates and inspects the dams in your area? Talk to your state engineer.
• Are any of your area’s dams in line to get federal money via the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, etc.? Is it being held up?

Reporting resources:

U.S. Society on Dams: A professional organization, nonprofit and nongovernmental, that shares knowledge about engineering.
Association of State Dam Safety Officials: A good access point to the many state-level officials, often engineers, who work on the problem of dam safety.
American Society of Civil Engineers: A professional organization of engineers working on all kinds of civil works, including dams.
Interagency Committee on Dam Safety: ICODS is “the permanent forum for the coordination of federal activities in dam safety and security.”

The debate over fluoride in public water may just be getting started: Local stories and knowledge can help

Fluoride is a mineral that helps prevent
tooth decay. (Photo by G. Rosenke, Unsplash)

The decades-long practice of adding fluoride to public water supplies to prevent tooth decay is under fire from anti-fluoride activists, including "fluoride foe Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was tapped for a top spot overseeing public health as head of the Department of Health and Human Services," reports Joseph A. Davies for the Society for Environmental Journalists. Kennedy wants "to remove fluoride from drinking water, and President-elect Trump has said he supports the idea."

Adding fluoride to public water sources began in the 1940s; however, the decision to add fluoride is not made at the federal level. Davis explains, "The federal government has no legal authority to require fluoride in drinking water — not the EPA or any other agency. But some 13 states (plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico) do — they currently have laws requiring utilities to add fluoride to drinking water. Hawaii is the only state to prohibit it. . . . Not only that, but laws in 37 states allow local governments and utilities to choose for themselves."

Davis writes, "The public should know the facts. For environmental journalists, that means local stories."

A recent court case won by anti-fluoride activists "ordered the EPA to reevaluate its rule on fluoride in drinking water, using the Toxic Substances Control Act rather than the SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act)," Davis explains. "The suit came after controversial research by the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program suggested fluoride could harm the IQ of growing kids."

The political atmosphere and anti-fluoride sentiment by some citizens is pushing the fluoride debate into more local community spaces. Davis shares these story ideas and sources.

Story ideas:

• Does your state require fluoride to be added to public drinking water systems? Talk to your state regulators.
• What are the main drinking water utilities in your audience area? Do they add fluoride? Talk to local managers about the issue.
• Does fluoride occur naturally in the source water(s) of your local utilities? How much? Is it below or above the maximum contaminant level (MCL)?
• Does your utility fully inform customers about fluoride in water (as they are legally required to under the SDWA)?
• What does your local or state health department think about fluoride in drinking water?
• Talk to your dentist and other local dentists about their views on fluoride.
  

Reporting resources:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The EPA oversees implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, with most enforcement carried out by the states.
• Centers for Disease Control: The main U.S. public health agency.
• National Institutes of Health: This scientific research agency has studied fluoride in water.
• World Health Organization: This international public health agency has recommended a level for fluoride in drinking water.
• American Dental Association: The main professional association for general dentists in the United States.
• Fluoride Action Network: A nongovernmental organization that opposes addition of fluoride to drinking water.
• Food & Water Watch: A nonprofit NGO opposed to fluoride in drinking water.

All creatures big, small, tiny and 'ugly' are needed on this planet: Here's how journalists can cover them.

An orange fungus grows out of leaf debris in a Maine forest.
(Photo by Alyssa Mattei, National Park Service via SEJ)

It's small and somewhat weird, but let's protect it. Say what? If day-to-day environmental journalism is difficult, reporting on barely-known species, which often look like sci-fi inventions, can be more challenging. But it's worth noting that while some species lack the glamour or beauty of creatures "situated toward the apex of the food chain," [apex animals] are nothing without every lesser-loved organism below them," report Bethany Brookshire and Douglas Main for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

What's the best way to describe "seemingly unlovable species and ecosystems to life and get our audiences invested in their stories?. . . Often, the most compelling way to report on the non-human world is to talk about people — about how we are like those creatures or why we need those plants or ecosystems," Brookshire and Main explain. "That might seem a little self-centered. But looking closer, it becomes clear that what this kind of coverage cultivates is not self-obsession. It’s empathy."

Another option is "finding the larger stories that odd species are embedded within," SEJ reports. A National Geographic feature "[looked at] ice worms, tiny invertebrates that live on glaciers and climate change. . . . A slight tweak in the protein that makes ATP, the cellular currency of energy, helps these creatures stay active at very low temperatures. People might not care about ice worms. But they care about the effects of climate change on biodiversity, and they care about potential human benefits from other species’ quirks."

Benji Jones, an environmental correspondent, "believes that another way to get people to care about obscure organisms is to make them characters in a story — as he recently did when writing about Appalachian salamanders," SEJ reports. "That often means emphasizing that these organisms — whether plants or animals or yeast — are really not as different from us as they seem, Jones says. They, too, have wants and needs and challenges. . . . A tree or salamander can’t speak for itself, but the people who care about these species can."

Write with imagination. "It’s harder to get audiences to care about the small, the spineless, the aesthetically unappealing. But seeing ourselves in other creatures sparks curiosity. And from curiosity, it’s only a short step to caring," Brookshire and Main add. "Journalists might have to dig a little deeper to find the common ground humans share with other species. But it’s there if you dig deep enough. Making those connections can open the door to understanding and compassion."

Is sewage sludge used on farms and golf courses in your community? Tips for journalists to investigate issues.

A sewage sludge treatment tank in Scottdale, Penn.
(USDA photo, Lance Cheung via Flickr CC)

It may not sound pretty, but looking into sewage sludge disposal practices can be a story that helps your community's health. "There was a time when the Environmental Protection Agency renamed toxic sludge as 'biosolids,' and journalists went along with it," reports Joseph A. Davis of the Society of Environmental Journalists. "As we are becoming aware of more and more toxic chemicals, it is hardly a surprise that we are finding them in sewage sludge. The surprise is that some farmers are spreading them on their fields."

The multiple contaminants within sewage sludge are a health threat to humans and the environment because PFAS or "forever chemicals" can be present in sludge; however, sludge pollutants can also include "heavy metals like lead, other toxic organics like dioxins, PCBs, pharmaceuticals whose names you can’t even pronounce," Davis explains. "The problem gets much harder when you realize there are thousands of individual PFAS chemicals. Not to mention all the other chemical families."

The problems with sludge, even when treated, or labeled "biosolids" remain extensive. EPA rules may not be enough to keep people and nature safe because current rules "allow — some say encourage — sterilized, dried sludge to be spread on fields, golf courses, etc," Davis writes. "The big question is whether harmful chemicals are getting into people’s food and water."

Davis offers the following story ideas:

• Where does your sewage go when you flush the toilet? Talk to your local sewage treatment agencies and ask them what they do with their sewage sludge.
• Ask who takes the bulk of processed sludge from your local agencies? There may be companies who distribute it in large quantities to farmers, golf courses, etc., who apply it to land. Talk to them. Talk to their customers.
• The EPA has to review its 'biosolids' rules every two years to see whether they should be updated as new contaminants come to light. What do local sewage officials and environmental advocates think about the EPA’s performance?
• Some disposal of sewage sludge on land requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (water pollution) permit. Check the permit database for permittees. Check the EPA’s ECHO enforcement database for violators. Talk to permittees and permitting agencies.
• Does your local sludge go into the retail market? What companies and brands sell it? Ask for their test results on chemical contamination. Figure out what they didn’t test for.
• Talk to groundskeepers or managers at local golf courses. Do they use sludge products on their courses? What can you learn about the run-off situation?
• Go to meetings of local garden clubs and community gardens. Or visit on-site. Ask members what they do, especially with vegetable gardens.

Reporting resources:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The agency sets the standards for land application of sludge.
• Local sewage treatment agencies: You can find them in the EPA’s ICIS-NPDES database using SIC code 4952.
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies: The NACWA is a lobby and professional group of municipal sewage treatment agencies.
• Center for Food Safety: A nonprofit group that advocates for food safety.
• Regional biosolids groups: Find some listed here.
• Food & Water Watch: A nonprofit environmental advocacy group that follows the sludge-agriculture issue.
• Water Environment Federation: A professional and scientific organization whose members work in the sewage and water industries.

NASA offers environmental and science journalists a 'cool tool' and free graphics with its 'Worldview' database

NASA's Worldview offers seemingly endless data and free graphics. (NASA Worldview photo)

Part of NASA began with Caltech students blowing up part of their dorm room while experimenting with rockets. From those extraordinary-sounding beginnings, the space agency has combined its data-gathering satellites with analysis powerhouses and offers "unimaginably huge" troves of data, some of which is open to the public and journalists, reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

While the sheer vastness of information may seem daunting, don't worry, "there is a system (or a system of systems) for handling it," Davis explains. "It goes by the acronym EOSDIS, for Earth Observing System Data and Information System. . . . . Meanwhile, NASA’s query site, called 'Worldview,' translates some of the most meaningful data into graphic form. You can access the Worldview landing page, which is also the query engine, here."

The Worldview database is a "cool tool" for environmental journalists and their production teams to use. Davis adds, "It’s not simply data; it’s free graphics." That's a huge upside. The downside to Worldview is that it's not easy to use. "Some important parts of it just don’t work. . . . . On the other hand, the number of choices you have about what to look at is very large."

The options are virtually endless and the data and graphics are "right in the strike zone of stories environmental journalists often cover," Davis writes. "You can request many different time spans, you can compare views from one time period against another, and you can choose particular places, zooming in and out almost at will. You can find out about wildfires, floods, dust storms, smoke plumes, drought, vegetation cover, human built-up areas and settlement areas, and even dams. And more."

Worldview also covers climate. Davis explains, "It tells you many details about albedo, sea-ice cover, surface temperature, etc."

Plenty of stories can be found when local journalists dig into their community's lawn-care practices

Examining community lawn-care habits can yield
rich stories. (Adobe Stock photo)

If you're a local environmental journalist, you need to go no further than examining your community's lawn care for possible stories. "Let’s be real: Green lawns are anything but natural," writes Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists. "Not only does the perfect green lawn require laborious mowing — and watering, and fertilizer, and weed killers and bug killers. But a lot of those chemicals may run off the lawn and into water bodies where they may do harm."

The more manicured the lawn, the greater the chances of heavy, inorganic treatment. Some residents have little choice but to use chemicals because homeowner associations and zoning laws dictate lawn care. Still, other individuals rebel against their local “lawn police," Davis adds, "That might be a story. Can you keep bees or raise chickens? What does that mean for the turf? . . . Sometimes the streetward side of a yard may be a municipal easement, rather than the owner’s property. This can sometimes spark conflict, too."

For community reporters, if there's land and people around you, there's likely some nature-center story to be found. Some of Davis' reporting resources are shared below. For his full list of ideas, click here.

• National Wildlife Federation: A national membership organization for wildlife conservation. It has local chapters. And it is the one to certify home yard wildlife habitats.
• Xerces Society: A broad group whose membership includes scientists and landscape managers, and is devoted to invertebrate conservation. It has pollinator-friendly plant lists by region.
• Local nurseries: Gardeners visit these local treasures often. Talk to senior staff.
• County extension: All-purpose helpers with expertise. Here is a good directory.
• Ecological Landscape Alliance: A professional organization whose members include landscape architects and others. Its directory is a gold mine.
• Planning and zoning boards: They usually have lots of staff. They can help you find out what’s legal in your area.
• Garden clubs: There is likely one in your neighborhood. Go to a meeting. And bring cookies.

Reporting tips: PFAS drinking water rule offers a wealth of opportunities for local stories and angles

PFAS are found throughout the
environment. (Adobe Stock photo)

The Environmental Protection Agency's new rule limiting polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals," in U.S. drinking water supplies opens the door to local reporting opportunities, writes Joseph A. Davis of The Society of Environmental Journalists. "The new PFAS drinking water rule is a big deal — and also a great local story for environmental journalists."

Why is limiting PFAS important? These chemicals can cause devastating health issues for humans, partially because they build up in the body over time. Despite their toxicity, they have been used in countless household goods, from electronics to frying pans. Using common-sense labels, they could also be called "everywhere chemicals." Davis writes, "There are many routes of human exposure — from french fry wrappers to high-end rain jackets. Even playing with the baby on the carpet. What matters is human exposure: how much over what length of time."

To get a local story going, find out your area's PFAS backstory. "People started getting worried about PFAS back in 2016, when PFAS chemicals were found in private wells around Bennington, Vermont, caused by waste from a nearby plant. The concern spread. Other communities across the country found PFAS in their water, too," Davis reports. While Vermont went on to set its own PFAS limits, the EPA took a long time to unravel the PFAS problem. The agency's new rule was announced in April 2024.

For forever chemical stories in your neck of the woods, Davis has several suggestions, a few of which are lightly edited below.

• Find the utility provider for your area's drinking water and get its latest 'consumer confidence report.' It will tell you if PFAS has been tested for/detected in your water. Look under 'detected unregulated contaminants.'
• Check other local media, testing services and state/county health departments to see if any private wells have had PFAS detected in their water.
• Explore any known sources of PFAS pollution in your area, especially manufacturing plants.
• Are there any airports or aircraft firefighting operations in your area that may have used PFAS-containing foam? What happens to their runoff? Check with well owners in the vicinity about any pollution.
• If your utility's water contains PFAS, ask what it will do to correct the problem. Ask what it would cost to remove PFAS and whether it would have to raise water rates. Sometimes, changing water sources is a cheaper solution.

Read the full article here for more on PFAS history and ideas for reporting angles.

Journalists can help their audience avoid purchasing or renting real estate with environmental problems

House in Bethel, Vermont, severely damaged by Hurricane
Irene. (USFWS from Flickr Creative Commons via SEJ)

Purchasing a home or renting a place with environmental concerns can be financially, physically and emotionally harmful. Journalists can help their readers and listeners avoid these problems by focusing stories on real estate risks. State and local governments require disclosure of some of those risks before a sale, but others, such as flood risks, may fall outside government oversight, reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Not all home sellers and agents will disclose dangers or flaws unless compelled to. "Sellers will play up features like schools, shopping, transit, restaurants and so on. Drinking water problems? Not so much," Davis writes. "What some consumer advocates miss is how many environmental risks come with real estate purchases."

Davis provides a list of story ideas to consider as your audience heads into prime real estate sales and moving season. A limited number of his ideas are edited and shared below. For the full list, click here.

Disclosure requirements: Every state has different requirements. Find out yours at SOLD.com, a nationwide real estate business.

Home inspectors: Whatever the legal environment near you, professional home inspectors know about it. Find them in your locality. Some may talk to you.

Lead paint: Federal law requires disclosure of lead paint risks in real estate sales. However, the question of whether the risks have been adequately mitigated can be tricky and subjective.

Flood risk/history: Federal law does not require disclosure, but some 29 states do. Find out if your state is one of them. People anywhere can find out if a property lies in the Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated flood plain.

Lead in water: Lead service lines are common in older houses in many U.S. cities. Remember Flint? Only a few states require disclosure.

What's in the drinking water: Some communities have contaminants in their source water and even in their treated drinking water. This is true of private wells, too. Home sellers are not required to disclose this, but the law does require utilities to disclose what's in their treated water. Ask for your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.

Carbon monoxide: If a building is heated with gas or oil (or, rarely, other combustibles), toxic carbon monoxide may be released into the living space. Tuning or replacing the furnace may be in order. CO detectors are rarely required but are inexpensive and available.

Dam safety: Most dams are safe. But if a building is downstream of a large or old dam, check on the risks. Start with the National Inventory of Dams. If a nearby dam is rated "high" or "medium" hazard, there may be issues. What you really want is the inundation map for the dam (if it is accurate and available).

Add to your energy information reporting toolbox with this data source; many of its charts are free to use

An IEA chart showing the world’s total energy supply from 1990 to 2020
by source. Many of IEA's charts are free to use. (IEA Chart via SEJ)

The International Energy Agency offers some of the best information for reporters wanting to develop a broader understanding of global energy with trustworthy data, reports Joseph A. Davis of the Society of Environmental Journalists. "What IEA offers is data about the global energy situation. But it's solid data, probably the best available."

Among IEA's 31 member countries, almost all are Western and European. "What nearly all of these countries have in common is that they are the major world players in energy markets, mostly as consumers but also as producers. Its members represent 75% of world energy demand," Davis writes. "It does not include China, India, Saudi Arabia or Russia."

While the Energy Information Administration is more of a "just-the-facts data supplier," Davis explains, "the IEA is not averse to taking positions. If it has a bias, it is pro-energy. . . . It is an enthusiastic chronicler of the energy transition (from fossil fuels to renewables), but it also cheers on nuclear energy. It supports gender equality in the energy industry (currently in an awful state, with IEA statistics to prove it)."

A lot of IEA's data is free, but more premium reports and data may require registration/payment. Some best practices for using IEA data:

• Remember that the data represents a subset of the global market. While some nonmember data is included, its not comprehensive.
• To get your feet wet, start with Energy Statistics Data Browser. Davis adds, "It also has browsers and trackers for energy efficiency, carbon capture, oil stocks (inventory), end-uses, hydrogen, climate pledges, critical minerals, electric vehicles and more."
• IEA's chart library contains many high-quality options that can be used under a Creative Commons license (but do check).
• While good data can bring new depth and understanding to stories, "We remind you that shoe-leather and in-person reporting is needed to round out the human side of the data," Davis writes. "Groundtruth everything you can."

A new EPA app helps journalists who are looking for local water quality data that's easy to understand and share

Eighth graders collect samples from the Pigeon River in N.C.
(Photo by G. Peeples, FWS, Flickr Creative Commons via SEJ)

If you're a journalist who wants water quality data that's for "non-geeks. . . The Environmental Protection Agency is offering a 'How's My Waterway?' web app that makes the sophisticated stuff simple," reports Joseph A. Davis of the Society of Environmental Journalists. "If you are, indeed, a geek and want to jump ahead, you can start exploring it here. . . . This app is a portal for people who just want to know whether they can drink from or swim in their local river. It's hyperlocal and practical. It's presented graphically and intuitively."

Where did the data come from? "The good news is that the EPA answers the question. The other good news is that it comes from multiple authoritative datasets," Davis explains. "Much of that data is required by law to be collected by government agencies and is therefore fairly good. Those datasets include ATTAINS, a collection of water quality data posted by the states, and BEACON 2.0, a collection of state data about beach closings. . . . It also includes discharge permit information, as well as permit violations. And drinking water information. And, yes, more. Here's the full list."

Using the app is as easy as downloading it on your smartphone and entering your ZIP code. The app then shows a map. "Like a good pair of binoculars, it allows you to zoom in or out or to ask about water quality at the local, state, or national level. In the process of describing state and national-level water quality, it actually provides some meaningful overview analysis," Davis reports. "The data is not up-to-the-second, but it is pretty current. The time frame differs for each kind of data, which is only the beginning of the story — a launch pad for shoe-leather and phone reporting."

Tips for reporting on 'forever chemical' can make a tricky job easier

PFAS are present in 45% of U.S. tap water.
(Photo by Jacet Dylag, Unsplash)

Given the enduring presence of "forever chemicals," or PFAS, in the nation's soil and water, journalists will be covering and uncovering them for years to come. Because reporting on PFAS can be tricky, Rachel Layne of Editor & Publisher interviewed a panel of experts and condensed tips to make reporting on the topic more doable.

Here are her experts: Kelly Smalling, a research chemist at the U.S. Geological Survey; Linda Birnbaum, the former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program; E.A. Crunden, a chemicals and waste reporter for Politico's E&E News who covers PFAS and its regulation closely; Barbara Moran, a climate and environment correspondent at WBUR in Boston who has reported extensively on PFAS; Rebecca Fuoco, the director of science communications at Green Science Policy Institute; and Jamie DeWitt, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at East Carolina University who follows PFAS closely.

Start with the basics. Journalists also should know and note why PFAS are nicknamed "forever chemicals." Manmade PFAS compounds don't degrade under typical conditions in the environment or the body. . . In recent decades, certain kinds of PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health issues, including potentially higher risk for some cancers, autoimmune diseases, thyroid issues, liver disease, fetal complications, vaccine resistance and high cholesterol, among other concerns."

Note PFAS regulation on a national and local level. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency took a major step by proposing limits on six kinds of PFAS in drinking water under the national Safe Water Drinking Act. If enacted, the rule would cover the first new contaminant be the first new national standards under the act since the 1990s.

Study up, learn the terminology and how to use it. "Reporters should not buy into saying 12,000+ chemicals 'cause cancer'; that simply has not been proven yet, and research is limited," Crunden explains. "But good PFAS journalism should see you comfortably empowered to say at least two chemicals are strongly linked to cancer, and that there are concerns about the broader family, which also pose a number of other health issues." Note that toxins are the correct term for naturally occurring poisonous substances, Crunden explained. PFAS are manmade, which makes them toxicants, not toxins. "Toxic chemicals" would also be an accurate way to describe PFAS.

Keep your accuracy radar on high and double-check what sources say. You can find tips on how to characterize research findings accurately in this tip sheet from "The Journalist's Resource." Even scientists can make mistakes, especially those not steeped in PFAS research, says Jamie DeWitt.

Befriend a toxicologist. Find a public health, public works or university toxicologist familiar with PFAS and ask to sit down with them, DeWitt, Crunden and Moran recommend — especially one who specializes in drinking water.

Monitor academic research, keeping in mind that much of it never makes it into the news media. A good practice is to create alerts on services like PubMed and Eureka Alert! Many scientific studies are published behind a firewall. But journalists often can get access to scientific papers for free – if they know how to ask. This piece from The Journalist's Resource outlines how to set up free accounts with several top academic journal publishers.

Go to a public water board or local government meeting where PFAS is being discussed, or attend state hearings. As with any topic, some of the best story ideas come from meeting people you wouldn't normally encounter just working the phones or doing online research, Moran says. The National Conference of State Legislatures has state-by-state information on PFAS and drinking water. The map and key issue page from the advocacy group Environmental Working Group are also good places to start.

Be prepared for the storms: Journalists must plan now to cover severe weather

Reporter Emily Foxhall works during Hurricane Harvey.
(Photo by Godofredo Vásquez,Houston Chronicle)

Environmental journalists covering weather disasters are having a hectic year. "New government data revealed that the U.S. has already experienced more billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023 than in any other year since authorities started tracking such data 40-plus years ago," reports Lydia O'Connor of HuffPost. "The catastrophes include 18 severe storms, two floods, a tropical cyclone, a winter storm and the deadly wildfire event that struck Maui last month." Reporting on weather disasters like these takes planning, reports Emily Foxhall for the Society of Environmental Journalists. Foxhall shares these tips:

Prepare supplies and food well ahead: My guiding principle for reporters in the field: Be prepared to rely on yourself for everything, as if you were spending a week camping.

Step one happens before disaster hits. Newsrooms need to organize go-bags for reporters with essential supplies. Reporters who will be assigned to disaster coverage should get stipends to purchase nonperishable food to last however long they will be there.

Some supplies I've found especially helpful include a power inverter to charge devices in your car, a flashlight or lantern with extra batteries, a first-aid kit, sunscreen and bug spray, quick-drying clothes, rain gear, waterproof bags for a phone and notebooks, thick-soled shoes to walk safely in debris-strewn floodwater — and lots of extra socks.

Make a reporting plan when the disaster looms. Meteorologists know when a hurricane is approaching, giving newsrooms time to plan. Other disasters might not have the same lead time. No matter how rushed you are, before leaving to cover any emergency, try to take the time to do the following:

• Fill your gas tank.
• Be sure your spare tire is full of air.
• Charge devices and backup power banks.
• Download Maps. Me for offline map access.

Talk with those in your newsroom about how they can help while you're on the scene reporting. While you're focused on the victims and the survivors, reporters in the newsroom can help you figure out where to go next or provide helpful context about a certain city or neighborhood where you're spending time.

Colleagues can also help by watching news conferences, quickly filing the necessary public information requests and finding you a safe place to stay (this could be with first responders early on; hotels will need to be booked quickly because they fill up after disasters). They might also pull needed context on how climate change affects what happened.

Know this will still be hard, and that's OK. Being ready will help make disaster coverage as smooth as it can be. I've found it's still important to give myself patience and grace when working through it.

By the time I covered Hurricane Laura in 2020, I thought I had all of this down. I'd covered several disasters by that point. I'd trained younger colleagues on how to cover hurricanes. I had my supplies ready. I knew contacts in the area who could help me get around flooded spots.

I still faced difficulties.

I'm glad to hear editors talk about prioritizing the well-being of reporters and how to support them through this type of work. If that conversation isn't happening in your newsroom, it may be time to get it started. Climate change is only making this kind of disaster coverage more necessary. We owe it to ourselves and our industry to be ready.

Free webinar on 'Covering Contaminated Sites' from Society of Environmental Journalists 1-2 p.m. ET Wednesday

Jordan Gass-Pooré, creator/host, "Hazard NJ"
podcast from NJ Spotlight News/NJ PBS

Journalists can play a pivotal role in keeping their communities healthy by reporting on contaminated sites, but investigative reporting is often intimidating and resources for it often scant. A free webinar Wednesday, Aug. 2, is desigend to help.

"Covering Contaminated Sites in Your Community," from 1 to 2 p.m. ET, will feature investigative journalist and podcaster Jordan Gass-Pooré, who will provide tips on reporting on contaminated sites by incorporating local voices who have been affected by the pollution. The session presents expert views on how future extreme weather events fueled by climate change may threaten to further spread a pollution site if clean-up is not done.

This webinar, sponsored by the Society of Environmental Journalists, is free, and all journalists are welcome to attend. Registration includes name and email address only, here.

News-media roundup: Miss. Basin Ag & Water Desk to add 10 more reporters; Calif. paper was 'tortured plaything' . . .

The Walton Family Foundation is giving the Missouri School of Journalism $2.47 million over the next three years to expand the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, a network of journalists that covers agriculture, water and environmental issues in the basin and makes articles free to publish. The foundation's additional support will fund a second cohort of 10 journalists starting next summer, through a partnership with Report for America. They will get training from the J-school and the Society of Environmental Journalists. Associate Professor Sara Shipley Hiles, the desk's executive director, said it wants a wider range of newsrooms. Applications from newsrooms are due Sept. 18.

James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times tells how billionaire Wendy McCaw made a "tortured plaything" of the Santa Barbara News-Press, which closed July 21. The closure "leaves Santa Barbara with a few online news sources and a solid alternative weekly, the Independent," the Times reports. "But those outlets collectively do not employ the number of journalists who once powered the News-Press."

Ken Tingley, retired editor of The Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y., has published The Last American Editor, Vol. 2, a collection of 90 stories and columns that "explore particular themes or periods of a person’s life that best represent Small-Town America," says his come-on.