As the impacts of climate change continue to unfold in real time, the role of environmental journalists has never been more essential or urgent. The challenges facing Arizona — from water scarcity to cross-border land management — resonate across the country and the globe, making this year’s conference a pivotal gathering for vital discussions and innovative solutions that will shape the future of our planet.

As we celebrated 35 years of SEJ with our conference host, Arizona State University (ASU), on its main campus, this annual convening reflected the diversity of our global journalism community, the breadth of the challenges ahead and the paths forward for our industry.

Guided by three local co-chairs from three generations of news leadership, each deeply rooted in the region, their expertise spans investigative reporting in nonprofit startups, reporting from the Arizona-Sonora border and public radio, and a national environmental desk focused on Indigenous issues.

Together, we explored the Southwest’s compelling environmental stories in the field, to establish or expand your professional network and tap into SEJ’s unparalleled wealth of knowledge, experts and resources. Whether your focus is local impact or global effects, our programs and people aimed to provide inspiration and equip you to provide your communities with the vital information and context needed to survive and even thrive in a rapidly changing and warming world.

Read more from our conference co-chairs.

• Why Attend SEJ’s Conference?
• See the list of 540+ organizations represented by #SEJ2024 attendees in Philadelphia.
  

These Friday events were livestreamed. Watch the recordings:

• Opening Plenary. Lessons From the West, Good and Bad: Confronting the Climate Crisis in the Trump Era
• Lunch Plenary. Reporting Without Access

Find all multimedia coverage here.

Share How SEJ2025 Is Shaping Your Work: Are you working on a story, series or project sparked or shaped by your time in Arizona and experience at SEJ2025? We’d love to hear about it! SEJ is always looking to highlight the powerful work and collaborations our community produces.