Environmental reporting has been one of the major casualties as newspapers downsize, particularly in places where the in-depth coverage is most needed.
Charles Bethea writes about impacts that cuts in newspaper staff are having on environmental reporting, particularly in parts of the country where coal mining is still prevalent.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the Courier-Journal was a nationally recognized paper with 300 employees when Gannett Publications bought it in 1986, but today it has a staff of just 60. James Bruggers, the Courier-Journal’s longtime environmental reporter left last year, and he has not been replaced.
Environmental advocates and journalists say the loss of a full-time beat reporter means that a host of important topics — including the impacts of mining on the environment and workers’ health, air and water quality, logging, and global warming — are not being covered in depth. While general assignment reporters at other papers are picking up some of the slack, they are not able to devote the time and resources needed to stay on top of these stories.
In addition, says Bethea, a shift away from local papers to national coverage is less than ideal. The Courier-Journal was on the radar of other news outlets as well as local and state officials, and Bruggers' coverage led to regulatory and policy changes. But now a lack of bureaus in most parts of Kentucky means that the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the state and those hardest hit by environmental issues are largely overlooked.
Read the full story: Shrinking Newspapers and the Costs of Environmental Reporting in Coal Country
Comment: EPA Cuts will Send Atlanta Back to Eye-burning Ozone, Lung-damaging Smog, and Raw Sewage in the Chattahoochee River
A veteran political journalist takes stock of the hard-earned ground Georgia stands to lose with slashed environmental protection.
America’s 10 ‘Greenest’ Cities
A new analysis ranks cities based on their environmental quality, energy consumption and production, transportation, density, and other factors.
Arizona Environmental Agency Cutbacks Significant, Says Report
A new report says funding and staffing cuts at the state’s environmental protection agency could prevent it from adequately protecting public health and the environment.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
'This is going to be painful:’ Virginia stares down $1.7 billion funding gap for highway maintenance
The state may address the deficit by shifting $290 million from its construction budget to maintenance projects.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello