For GreenProphet readers who come from a journalism background, or who simply read the news, you know that American papers and magazines are facing mass bankruptcies and closings. Environmental journalism hasn’t been spared either, as was reported in April by a former green editor at the Huffington Post:
Last week I received word via a long-winded mass-email missive by a former co-worker that CE Media, the parent company of Conscious Choice (Chicago & Seattle), Common Ground (SF) and Whole Life Times (LA), had finally shut their doors, making them the latest victims of the tumultuously shifting media and publishing landscape.
Former Conscious Choice Editor-in-Chief Charles Shaw then writes through the history of the three companies, which had their roots as magazines for ex-hippies and were gradually bought and sold into more corporate formats.
However, there is a bright spot: after the March 31, 2009 folding of CE Media, five editors of Chicago’s shuttered Conscious Choice decided to emerge from its ashes with Mindful Metropolis (Chicago Tribune article here). This new glossy magazine will seek to go back to the original Conscious Choice model, which will, according to a press release, “bring conscious living ideas to our readers and share what is happening in our community with them so we can become more connected and committed to socially-conscious living.”
There remain a bunch of green online publications; if you’re a starting environmental writer you may want to check out this writer’s advice page or join the Society of Environmental Journalists. But know that even green writing will not be spared the general industry havoc. GreenProphet advises that if you write for a green magazine or circular that goes under, you should at least recycle the wreckage.
Author: Daniella Cheslow
Daniella Cheslow grew up in a car-dependent suburb in New Jersey, where she noticed strip malls and Wal-Marts slowly replacing farmland. Her introduction to nature came through hiking trips in Israel. As a counselor for a freshman backpacking program at Northwestern University, Daniella noticed that Americans outdoors seemed to need to arm themselves with performance clothing, specialized water bottles and sophisticated camping silverware. This made her think about how to interact with and enjoy nature simply. This year, Daniella is getting a Master’s in Geography from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. She also freelance writes, photographs and podcasts. In her free time, she takes day trips in the desert, drops off compost and cooks local foods like stuffed zucchini, kubbeh and majadara. Daniella gets her peak oil anxiety from James Howard Kunstler and her organic food dreams from Michael Pollan. Read more at her blog, TheTruthHerzl.com. Daniella can be reached at daniella (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
