A case study in how journalists can center environmental news around social justice is at the heart of a new volume of scholarly essays reviewed in the latest BookShelf. While its tale of rural residents poisoned by contaminants is decades old, its lesson of what happens when power players bank on media acquiescence holds for stories of today.
"The last story I wrote before Donald Trump was elected president, four years and two months ago, was about the Obama administration’s claim that it had approved 60 renewable energy projects on public lands, capable of powering up to 5 million homes. I scrutinized those numbers, finding they dramatically overestimated the outgoing president’s accomplishments."
On Jan 21, 2021, SEJ wrote President Biden and Vice President Harris, petitioning them "to commit your administration to restoring openness and transparency throughout the federal government, and by your words and actions, to help restore respect for the vital role journalists play in our democracy" and providing concrete steps to do so. Read full text of the letter.
"Last week, a mob incited by President Trump stormed the United States Capitol building. ... For those of us who cover climate change for a living, the blatant lies about election fraud that fed the mob felt very familiar. A big part of our job is dealing with the disinformation that people and institutions spread to muddy the waters about climate change."
"Ethics officials at the Interior Department warned communications staff about posting a video in October touting President Trump’s conservation record that critics characterized as propaganda, according to emails obtained by The Hill."
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