Chemicals, the Press & the Public: A Journalist’s Guide to Reporting on Chemicals in the Community provides a summary for risk management programs (RMPs) and related activities and the requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. This book attempts to explain not only the enormous potential of the available chemical information, but also the limitations of the data. It provides tools and tips to help you interpret the chemical risk information.
Included are examples of reporters’ actual experiences reporting on chemicals in the community, some tips and insights on reporting on chemical emergency planning, and actual chemical emergencies, and a discussion of some of the limitations of the chemical hazard data. Several sections of the book contain lists of suggested questions. These are among the most important tools in this book.
RMPs are typically full of technical jargon. This book attempts to decode some of it. But to get to the real story, reporters may have to pursue company officials into technical thickets beyond the scope of this book. This book will try to lead you to sources that can help.