Coverage

SEJ's 27th annual conference, October 4-8, 2017, took place at the Wyndham Grand Hotel Downtown in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh/Swanson School of Engineering. Below, you'll find session-by-session multimedia coverage provided by SEJ, volunteers and conference attendees.

Additional coverage:

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Thanks to all our volunteer writers, recorders and photographers — this would not happen without you!

It's critically important to SEJ to gather evidence on the impact of our work. Please help us to keep SEJ strong and share links, photos, copies of reporting generated or informed by this conference. Send your story links to Cindy MacDonald, SEJ's Web content manager. It's never too late. Please send yours!

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Wednesday, October 4
Thursday, October 5
Friday, October 6
Saturday, October 7
Sunday, October 8
Miscellaneous conference coverage and local news

Wednesday, October 4

All-Day Farm Bill Workshop

"Farm bill veterans: 3 ag journalists offer insights," Agweek, October 16, 2017, by Jonathan Knutson.
"Of farmers and journalists," Agweek, October 16, 2017, by Jonathan Knutson.
"Farm bill discontent: Urban ag supporters want changes," Agweek, October 16, 2017, by Jonathan Knutson.
"Different goals for ag, farm bill," Agweek, October 9, 2017, by Jonathan Knutson.
"Broadening my view of the world with the Society of Environmental Journalists," Agweek, October 9, 2017, by Jonathan Knutson.
Event description.

Opening Reception: Tipping the Scales of Environmental Justice

Facebook Live video of the Environmental Justice Plenary on opening night at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

Event description.

Thursday, October 5

Tour 1, The Allegheny National Forest: Where Timber, Oil, Gas and Wild Rivers Meet

"Pennsylvania’s forest primeval," Great Lakes Echo, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University, November 17, by Eric Freedman.
Event description.

Tour 2, Lake Erie: Water, Walking, Wind and Wine

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Hogue. Click to enlarge.

Event description.

Tour 3, Laurel Highlands: One Beautiful Mountain Landscape, Two Very Different Environmental Stories

"September 11 memorial place of healing for people — and trees," Great Lakes Echo, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University, October 23, 2017, by Jack Nissen.
Event description.

Tour 5, From Steeltown to Green City

"Pitt shows how to grow five tons of food in a freight container," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 24, 2017, by David Templeton.
"Pittsburgh's Microgrids Technology Could Lead the Way for Green Energy," WNPR News, November 12, 2017, by Daniella Cheslow (with digital production by Jose Olivares).
Event description.

Tour 6, To the Bat Cave!

Left: Greg Turner, a wildlife biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, talks to us in Laurel Caverns about white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed many tens of thousands of bats, threatening several species with extinction. Not long ago, these caverns served as hibernacula for bats to winter over. Very few are left. (Look on the wall above his head and you’ll see some white spots. These may be spots of fungi, not necessarily the kind that are killing the bats, but illustrative that caves are crawling with microbiological life.) Center: Bella Isaacs-Thomas of the University of Michigan gets ready to crawl her way through a tight spot in the Caverns. Photos courtesy of Tom Yulsman (pictured, right), Center for Environmental Journalism, UC Boulder. Click photos to enlarge. See more bat-cave tour photos on the SEJ Members Facebook group.

"The Fungus Killing America's Bats: 'Sometimes You'll See Piles of Dead Bats'," The Revelator, October 16, 2017, by John Platt.
"In a Cave Once Filled with Bats, Nothing But Eerie Silence," Earther, October 12, 2017, by Dave Levitan.
Event description.

Tour 7, One City, Three Rivers: Pittsburgh’s Water Challenge

Photo courtesy of James Bruggers. Click to enlarge.

Event description.

Tour 8, Coal, Steel and Smog

Photos courtesy of Meg Turville-Heitz. Click photos to enlarge. See more tour photos on the SEJ Members Facebook group.

"Smog Museum Has Lessons for Today," KUER News/NPR (Utah), October 18, 2017, by Judy Fahys.
Facebook post and photos by Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum, October 15, 2017.
"Environmental journalists visit area to learn about infamous smog incident," The (Uniontown,PA) Herald-Standard/Mon Valley News, October 11, 2017, by Mark Soroka.
"Environmental journalists visit waste coal site near Fredericktown," Observer-Reporter/Mon Valley News, October 5, 2017, by Gideon Bradshaw.
Event description.

Tour 9, Fission and Our Energy Future: The View from Inside an Operating Nuclear Plant

Photos courtesy of Tom Henry, Ripple Effect/The (Toledo) Blade. Click photos to enlarge. See more nuke tour photos on the SEJ Members Facebook group.

Event description.

Friday, October 6

Breakfast Panel Session, How to Go from Prof(essional) to Prof(essor)

"Tip-sheet: What I Learned at SEJ 2017’s Going from Professional to Professor Panel," Covering the Planet blog, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University, November 6, 2017, by Apoorva Joshi.
Audio file (01:06:48 / 30.5MB).
Event description.

Opening Plenary, Environmental Journalism in the Trump Era

Audio file (01:23:31 / 38.1MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 1, THE CRAFT 2, Working Around PIOs Who Don’t Live Up to Their Titles

Audio file (01:09:53 / 31.9MB).
Event description and resources.

Concurrent Sessions 1, THE CRAFT 3, "We're So Screwed": The Ethics and Efficacy of Doomsday Reporting

"The Other Kind of Climate Denialism," The New Yorker, March 6, 2019, Rachel Riederer.
Audio file (01:16:19 / 34.8MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 1, WATER, Growing Awareness of America's Lead Problem: Next Steps, New Stories

Audio file (01:15:28 / 34.4MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 1, CLIMATE, Rethinking Climate Change Denial

"Despite 'a mountain of evidence' for climate change, doubt remains," Agweek, November 6, 2017, by Jonathan Knutson.
Audio file (01:14:49 / 34.2MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 1, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, Tribal Nations Take a Stand

Audio file (01:15:19 / 34.4MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 1, WILDLIFE, Criminal Elements: Organized Crime and Natural Resources

Audio file (01:15:55 / 34.7MB).
Event description.
Panelist presentation: "Environmental Crime in Brazil's Amazon," by Karla Mendes.
Panelist presentation: "Combating Wildlife Trafficking: A Conservation and Development Priority for USAID," by Mary Rowen.
Panelist presentation: "ECS and International Crimes," by U.S. Department of Justice.

Concurrent Sessions 1, ENERGY, The Next Fracking Fight: Pipelines

Audio file (01:12:13 / 33.0MB).
Event description.

Celebrating Environmental Journalism Luncheon

Audio file (00:42:16 / 38.7MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, THE CRAFT 2, Google Tools Training with SPJ

If you reported stories after the conference using the knowledge and tools you gleaned from this session, please send those story links to SEJ web content manager Cindy MacDonald for posting here. Thank you!
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, THE CRAFT 3, Beyond the Bubble: How to Communicate Environmental Issues Outside of the Echo Chamber

Audio file (01:11:43 / 32.7MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, WATER, Crystal Clear? Water Policy in the Trump Administration

Audio file (01:14:15 / 33.9MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, CLIMATE, Climate Action in the Hands of the Courts

Audio file (01:18:26 / 35.8MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, Environmental Justice in the Age of Trump

Audio file (01:18:52 / 36.0MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, WILDLIFE, Can DNA Editing Save Species?

Audio file (01:14:30 / 34.0MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 2, ENERGY, Can We Afford Nuclear Power?

Audio file (01:13:33 / 33.6MB).
Event description.

Saturday, October 7

Concurrent Sessions 3 and 4, THE CRAFT 1, Data Journalism: How to Find It, Mine It, Animate It

"Don’t let statistics scare you," Covering the Planet blog, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University, October 18, 2017, by Tony Van Witsen.
Audio file (02:17:14 / 39.1MB).
Event description and resources.

Concurrent Sessions 3 and 4, THE CRAFT 2, Safety, Digital Security and Legal Rights for Journalists

Audio file (02:38:36 / 36.2MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 3, THE CRAFT 3, New Media Business Models (in a Post-Truth Era)

Audio file (01:14:59 / 34.2MB).
Event description. Note: Dale Willman replaced Kahmeela Adams, who was ill and unable to attend.

Concurrent Sessions 3, WATER, Working the Disaster Beat

Audio file (01:14:24 / 34.0MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 3, CLIMATE, Climate Change, Conflicts and Displaced People

"Overlooked and Misunderstood: Stories About Climate, Conflict, and Migration," New Security Beat blog, October 3, 2017, by Bethany N. Bella.
Audio file (01:08:06 / 39.0MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 3, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, Building Sources and Trust in the Environmental Justice World

Audio file (01:09:05 / 31.5MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 3, WILDLIFE, Species on the Move: Climate Change and Shifting Ecosystems

"Expert on Species Movement Urges Innovation To Help Wildlife Adapt To Climate Change," Wisconsin Public Radio, October 15, 2017, by Chuck Quirmbach.
Audio file (01:16:57 / 35.1MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 3, ENERGY, The Fate of Renewable Energy Under Trump

"Supreme Court Ruling Won't Stop DTE From Striving To Be Carbon Neutral by 2050," The (Toledo) Blade, July 2, 2022, by Tom Henry.
"GOP Tax Reform Plan Sparks Uncertainty for the Clean Energy Industry," Greentech Media, November 1, 2017, by Justin Gerdes.
"Industry leaders say coal-fired power plants becoming obsolete," The (Toledo) Blade, October 20, 2017, by Tom Henry.
"Trump administration's move to overturn Clean Power Plan divides Kentucky politicians," Watchdog Earth blog, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal, October 11, 2017, by James Bruggers.
Audio file (01:20:56 / 36.9MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 4, THE CRAFT 3, Investigative Reporting: How to Dig Deeper

Audio file (01:14:50 / 34.9MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 4, WATER, Making the Great Lakes Great Again

"Foxconn Project Creating Interest and Concern in Great Lakes Basin," Wisconsin Public Radio, October 13, 2017, by Chuck Quirmbach.
Audio file (01:16:33 / 34.2MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 4, CLIMATE, Will the Next Global Climate Leader Please Step Up?

"Companies take on climate risk in absence of federal action," Business Insurance, October 10, 2017, by Gloria Gonzalez.
Audio file (01:20:40 / 36.8MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 4, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, Expanding the Environmental Justice Tent

Audio file (01:10:28 / 32.2MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 4, WILDLIFE, Beyond Megafauna: Small Species, Big Loss

"Looking Beyond the Charismatic Megafauna," The Revelator, October 25, 2017, by John R. Platt.
Audio file (01:08:02 / 39.0MB).
Event description.

Concurrent Sessions 4, ENERGY, Resources vs. Recreation in the Fight for Public Lands

"Battle Over Sage Grouse Plan: Sportsmen See Bad Precedent in Reopening Compromise to Protect Western Range Bird," DTN/The Progressive Farmer, October 9, 2017, by Chris Clayton.
Audio file (01:22:17 / 32.9MB).
Event description.

Lunch Plenary, The Sixth Extinction... Live and Personal!

"Jane Goodall's video presentation to conference attendees, courtesy of the Jane Goodall Institute.
Event description.

Mini-Tour 3, Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale, PA

Photos courtesy of Kirsi Jansa, documentary filmmaker: Sustainability Pioneers, Gas Rush Stories. Click photos to enlarge. See more tour photos on the SEJ Members Facebook group.

Event description.

Mini-Tour 5, Bobs' Beer Tour — From the Classroom to the Taproom

Bob Parker gives a semester of brewing in 45 minutes. Photos courtesy of Meg Turville-Heitz. Click photos to enlarge. See more tour photos on the SEJ Members Facebook group.

"Local breweries win at the Great American Beer Festival," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 7, 2017, by Bob Batz Jr.
Event description.

Mini-Tour 7, Bike to "Heaven" — Currently on Pittsburgh's North Side

Photos courtesy of Rebecca Lessner. Click photos to enlarge. See more bike mini-tour photos here on Facebook.

Event description.

Sunday, October 7

Breakfast at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Speaker Douglas Brinkley: Audio file (00:38:58 / 22.3MB).
Speaker Land Tawney: Audio file (00:37:28 / 30.0MB).
Event description.

Post-Conference Tour: Biking (and a Little Surfin’) on the Great Allegheny Passage

Photos courtesy of Rebecca Lessner. Click to enlarge.

"Over the river and through the woods Cumberland to Ohiopyle," Facebook video, by Rebecca Lessner.
Facebook interactive panorama, by Rebecca Lessner.
Event description.

Miscellaneous conference coverage and local news

"'We Will Decide Their Future': Q&A With 'Pro-Bear' Environmental Journalist Gloria Dickie," Mongabay, July 11, 2023, by Jeremy Hance. ["I was at an SEJ [Society of Environmental Journalists] conference, and I just elevator-pitched the project during a book pitch slam: Eight Bears. The editor [leading the event] was intrigued and followed up with me after, and that’s who I ended up working with on the book."]
"Pittsburgh has glaring environmental problems. So why the greenwashing?," PublicSource, December 26, 2017, by Donna Carole Roberts. [Note: Be sure to see SEJ attendee comments at the bottom of Roberts' article.]
"There's a Huge Drinking Water Problem Plaguing Rural America, Too," Earther, October 23, 2017, by Tracy Staedter.
"Water crisis prompts Michigan coffee roaster to pour funds into Flint," Renewal News, October 17, 2017, by Elizabeth McGowan.
"Knight Center team hits the Society of Environmental Journalists conference," Covering the Planet blog, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University, October 16, 2017.
"Society of Environmental Journalists Strikes Out on Fracking Yet Again," Energy in Depth (a campaign of the Independent Petroleum Association of America), October 5, 2017, by Nicole Jacobs. Note comment by Alan Septoff at the bottom of the story: "FYI: multiple energy companies were invited to join the tour as speakers. None accepted (or returned calls). Contact tour coordinator and SEJ President Bobby Magill for more info."

Public

SEJ's 27th Annual Conference Coverage