Covering Pollution: A Guidebook from SEJ and IRE

Ever wonder how they got that prize-winning environmental story? Where she found that perfect set of data? Who he called for that crucial piece of information?

Now there's a book that can show you how veteran environmental journalists practice their craft.

The Society of Environmental Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) are proud to announce a new collaboration by the two groups: "Covering Pollution: An Investigative Reporter's Guide" by Lori Luechtefeld.

Whether you have six hours or six months to nail down your story, you'll find "Covering Pollution" to be a practical, easy-to-use guide to pursuing stories about environmental health. Its 171 pages are jam-packed with tips from some of the most experienced environmental reporters in the U.S.

There are chapters on air pollution, water pollution, the Toxic Release Inventory, hazardous waste issues beyond TRI, dealing with advocacy groups, reporting and writing local environmental stories, and mapping environmental data. The five appendices are a treasure trove of names, telephone numbers and databases you'll need to successfully navigate the bureaucracies at EPA and a horde of other federal and state agencies that deal with environmental issues.

Throughout the book you'll find useful advice about angles and sources, and you'll learn how to fruitfully search dozens of Internet-based environmental databases. You'll get insider tips from beat veterans about how to quickly track down information you need to tell complex environmental stories accurately and compellingly.

A multitude of environmental reporters are quoted in the book, and the manuscript was reviewed by a panel of experienced SEJ member-volunteers: Perry Beeman, James Bruggers, Kevin Carmody, Russell Clemings, Joseph A. Davis, Heather Dewar, Dan Fagin, Christy George, Margaret Kriz, Michael Mansur, Robert McClure, Mark Schleifstein and Ken Ward Jr.

Order "Covering Pollution" today.