SEJ — Society of Environmental Journalists

👉🏾 Learn more about the legacy of SEJ conferences at www.sej2026.org/news#35years and be part of the 35th conference this spring.

From about 200 attendees at the first conference in 1991 to gatherings of more than 1,000 journalists, editors, freelancers and students today, SEJ conferences have grown alongside the field of environmental journalism itself.

For 35 years, SEJ’s annual conferences have created a space for learning, debate and community.

New SEJournal highlights are here!

From nonprofit to journalism, plus story ideas on renewable job training at community colleges. A quick roundup of three new articles from #SEJournalFreelanceFiles and #SEJournalTipsheet.

Read at sej.org/SEJournal

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

Learn more and start building your conference agenda: www.sej2026.org/news#workshop2

At #SEJ2026, this workshop will show journalists how to use public data from Carbon Mapper and the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Oil Climate Index plus Gas (OCI+) tool to report on methane pollution, climate risk and energy markets, from local leaks to global gas exports.

For decades, massive methane plumes from oil and gas operations went largely undetected. Now, new satellite technology is revealing “super-emitters,” tracing methane leaks down to specific facilities and equipment.

A person crouches outdoors petting a cat near a white cargo trailer and the metal frame of a greenhouse on a rural property, while another cat walks through the grass in the foreground. Text overlay reads: “Making the Transition to Journalism from the Nonprofit World – SEJournal Freelance Files.”

Despite a family tradition in #journalism, @marigofarr.bsky.social first spent a decade working on #socialjustice issues before making a realization: They, too, wanted to be a journalist. Follow their journey #SEJournalFreelanceFiles.

www.sej.org/publications...

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

A worker in safety gear installs or inspects solar panels on a rooftop under a clear blue sky. The image is part of an SEJournal TipSheet graphic with the headline “Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges” and the SEJ logo at the bottom.

Jobs are relatively plentiful in green #energy fields, whether in #solar, #wind, geothermal, energy efficiency, storage or hydro. #SEJournalTipSheet has a dozen story ideas and #reportingresources for your coverage.

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

www.sej.org/publications...

For Maritza Félix, environmental journalism starts with belonging.

As founder of Conecta Arizona, she says reporters should cover communities as members of them, not parachute in. At #SEJ2026, journalists will strengthen the skills to report with care and build trust.

Read more: shorturl.at/EbCwH

Promotional graphic for SEJournal BookShelf featuring the cover of Planet Aqua by Jeremy Rifkin. The cover shows Earth floating against a starry blue background with the subtitle “Rethinking Our Home in the Universe.” Behind it is a scenic lake and mountain landscape. Text at the bottom reads: “Review: Is Our Inextricable Link to Water the Key to Human Survival?” and “SEJournal BookShelf” with the SEJ logo.

Do we live on a land planet — or inside a vast #hydrosphere? In Planet Aqua, Jeremy Rifkin argues water isn’t just a resource, but the source of life itself. #SEJournalBookShelf editor Tom Henry explores the bold rethink.

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

www.sej.org/publications...

The energy transition isn’t just about technology. It’s about workers, communities and public trust.

At #SEJ2026, the Clean Energy, Renewables & Green Tech track explores how policy, industry and new technologies are reshaping communities on the ground.

👉🏾https://shorturl.at/zMeqy

Highlights from the latest #SEJournal are here. A quick roundup of three new articles from #SEJReporterToolbox, #SEJBackgrounder, and #SEJBookShelf.

Read: sej.org/SEJournal

New issues every Wednesday. Check back for the latest.

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

Big climate stories take collaboration.

Two major projects were named among 2025’s top journalistic collaborations. At #SEJ2026 (April 15–18, Chicago), we’re building more of that teamwork through workshops and meetups. Don’t miss it.

Apply for the Story Incubator: www.sej2026.org/schedule

Close-up of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Special Agent badge patch on a navy uniform. Text below reads, “EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0.” The bottom banner says “SEJournal Backgrounder” with the SEJ logo.

The enforcement of #environmental laws suffered a dramatic collapse during the Trump administration’s first year. The latest #SEJBackgrounder has the details.

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

www.sej.org/publications...

EPA Facilities Database — Gateway to Investigative Reporting Want to pinpoint all the facilities regulated by the EPA in your ZIP code? Or scope out every U.S. operation owned by a particular industrial company? Or learn which polluter might be facing fewer enf...

Want to pinpoint all the facilities regulated by the #EPA in your ZIP code? Or learn which #polluter might be facing fewer enforcement actions under the current administration? #SEJReportersToolbox

www.sej.org/publications...

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Submissions: Environmental Story Incubator at #SEJ2026

Have a strong reporting idea? Apply for this one-day workshop in Chicago with leading editors.

📅 NEW Deadline: March 6, 2026
👉🏾 Learn more and apply www.sej2026.org/news#workshop4

The SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment return to the annual conference, with winners honored at a special luncheon.
Sonia Narang remembers winning an SEJ Award in 2009, a turning point that helped launch her international environmental reporting career. Read her story: shorturl.at/8zZXk

A burned, devastated landscape after a wildfire, with charred palm trees and debris scattered across the ground. In the foreground, a damaged stove stands alone amid the ruins. Overlaid text reads, “Beyond the fires and floods — comprehensively covering disasters,” and “SEJournal Feature,” with the SEJ logo.

#Reporting on extreme-weather #disasters is complex, high-stakes work. @colleenhagerty.com draws on front-line experience to share practical insights and advice for telling these stories well. #SEJournalFeature @ejtodaynews.bsky.social

www.sej.org/publications...

Call for Submissions: Environmental Story Incubator at #SEJ2026

Have a strong reporting idea? Apply for this one-day workshop in Chicago with leading editors.

📅 Deadline: March 2, 2026
👉🏾 Learn more and apply: www.sej2026.org/news#workshop4

At #SEJ2026, the Conservation, Land & Indigenous Stewardship track equips journalists to report on environmental crimes, displacement, and climate impacts while building trust with affected communities.

👉🏾 Learn more at: sej2026.org/news

A critical logjam is emerging for post-#disaster aid to U.S. states, $11 billion or more, according to some calculations. #SEJournalTipSheet explores how this looks on the ground and how politics play into the backlog.

@ejtodaynews.bsky.social

As climate policy shifts and public health threats intensify, SEJ2026's local host committee is grounding the conference in the real-world systems that define the Great Lakes region: water infrastructure, public transit, food systems, community health and more.

Meet the team: shorturl.at/GJjXS

Boreal forest shrouded in smoke from a forest fire, in the Salt Plains section of Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada’s largest, in northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories.

Millions of acres of #Canadian #forest are a big North American story, and the latest #SEJournalReportersToolbox points you to a central data source that can help quantify, analyze and visualize the numbers: www.sej.org/publications... @sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social

Call for Submissions: Environmental Story Incubator at #SEJ2026
Have a strong reporting idea? Apply for this one-day workshop in Chicago with leading editors.

📅 Deadline: March 2, 2026
👉🏾 Learn more and apply: www.sej2026.org/news#workshop4

Author Meg Wilcox

An #endocrine #disruptor found in widely used epoxy resins remains largely unregulated. We spoke with reporter @megwilcox.bsky.social about her prizewinning reporting on the topic, in #SEJournalInsideStory www.sej.org/publications... @sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social

Environmental journalism is entering a pivotal moment. Climate protections are rolling back. Agencies are shrinking. Courts are reshaping regulation. Communities face growing risks.

#SEJ2026 is built around six core tracks to help journalists report with rigor. Learn more: shorturl.at/5TguO

At #SEJ2025, Jessica Keetso and Jerry Redfern examined how a proposed hydrogen pipeline could repeat environmental harm on Navajo lands—raising urgent questions about sovereignty and “clean energy.”

Shortly after, Redfern wrote: shorturl.at/FUKni

Did an SEJ session spark your work? Share!

The author, CD Davidson-Hiers, with student journalist Tarryn Nichols, hiking in the woods in Gainesville, Florida, in 2025.

Two nonprofit teach young writers the basics #environmental #journalism — FL Student News Watch w. @davidsonhiers.bsky.social and IN Youth Environmental Press Team. #SEJournalEJAcademy: www.sej.org/publications... @sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social

Early-bird registration for #SEJ2026 in Chicago extended to Feb. 18!

Join fellow journalists April 15–18 for hands-on training and peer learning, using the Great Lakes region to explore climate, public health, agriculture and environmental justice.

🎟️ Register: www.sej2026.org/register