In general, we previously maintained a pretty standard “corporate” site, with relatively static info on our  growing network of sustainability-focused sites, and some simple instructions on how to apply to get involved [...]]]> If you’ve been to importantmedia.org before this week, you’ll probably notice that this site has changed–in form, function, and intention.

In general, we previously maintained a pretty standard “corporate” site, with relatively static info on our  growing network of sustainability-focused sites, and some simple instructions on how to apply to get involved or get more information–but keeping the focus on the sites themselves. Last night, we soft-launched a more dynamic version of our central presence, showcasing the newest content created across our network each day, and providing a single place for our (logged-in) stakeholders to interact.

With this launch, we’re taking a major step in tying together the editorial teams of each of our sites into a single, coherent, community. From the reader’s perspective, each of our sites will continue to maintain its own niche brand identity.

However, from the perspective of the bloggers, editors, and creatives who make up the primary group of stakeholders on our network, we now have a single place for 7 primary goals:

1. Streamline story idea sharing between members
2. Streamline published story link-sharing for social media
3. Act as a storage/retrieval mechanism for admin docs and best practices
4. Streamline top-down announcements to the whole community, and subgroups
5. Act as a place for strategic discussions among ed community members
6. Streamline dissemination of financial/revshare information with visualization to teams
7. Streamline user engagement and laddering up of involvement

Features to tackle all seven of these goals aren’t fully in place now, but we’ll be continuing to build on our newly-launched base over the next few months–check back, or better yet, get in touch and help out!

And even with what should be working already, we’ve still got some tweaks to style, and styling to tweak (ok, quite a bit–this represents an overhaul of our entire application and onboarding process), so please see this as a work in progress!

If you have any feedback or questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

In that time, the network has grown by leaps and bounds, but unfortunately for poor importantmedia.org, most of the action happens on our 13 individual sites (find them in the dropdown bar at the top of this page!).

Well, at Important Media, we think there’s only one solution: do something, and [...]]]> Doesn’t it seem like everything in the world is getting more and more precarious? Things seem uncertain, cloudy. Even though most of us try as hard as we can and always mean well, it’s easy to question the effect we’re having as individuals.

We have a folder like this.

Well, at Important Media, we think there’s only one solution: do something, and share it with others. Which is why we’re back on the recruiting warpath. We’re finally ready to start adding new members to our editorial team, and we have tried extremely hard to create a role that could be a fit for just about anyone who has intelligent, interesting, and most of all, important information to share with the world.

To find out more about joining our editorial team as a Site Editor, Freelance Author, or Guest Contributor, start by checking out our Write with IM page. Or, browse our FAQ, or any other part of this site.

We’re still working on a lot behind the scenes, including a complete redesign of all of our sites over the summer, so stay tuned!

Cheers,

David Anderson, founder of IM

We had barely put new editors in command on 5 of our 10 blogs when the editorial opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to us. I’ll just come right out and say it: Jame O’Keefe, the master [...]]]> Man, things are happening fast over here at the new Important Media virtual office.

We had barely put new editors in command on 5 of our 10 blogs when the editorial opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to us. I’ll just come right out and say it: Jame O’Keefe, the master pimp behind the ACORN sting, the daring Landrieu phone-company infiltration, and many other brilliant opii (that’s the plural of opuses, right?) of new and social media, will be coming on board to anchor our environmental politics blog, Red, Green and Blue.

No photo credit, except to O'Keefe for landing her.

That’s right, the man who has defended the rights of the underprivileged since his early days at Rutgers (who cares if his campaign to protect Irish-American heritage by banning Lucky Charms failed? It brought attention to an important issue on campus)  will now be documenting for Important Media the environmental injustice created by our corrupt political system.

We don’t want to give away too much yet, but keep an eye out for scathing takes on the most important environmental boondoggles of our time, from the folly of encouraging local food and fuel production, to the excesses of Big Pot and its heavy-handed tactics in trying to cram “new tax dollars” into our pockets.

Okay, you got me. Not a very well-planned April Fool’s Joke. But seriously, I do want to announce that Important Media is officially back up and running, having soft-launched our new writer payment system and editorial structure. We’ll be refining things quite a bit over the next few months, but we’re committed to placing one foot in front of the other and making constant progress throughout 2010.

Want to get involved?

We’re still looking for highly-motivated long-term editors for four of our 10 blogs: Inspired Economist, Ecopreneurist, Green Building Elements, and (sorry to disappoint, all you O’Keefe fans) Red, Green and Blue.

All of our writers and editors are compensated on an innovate revshare system, and editors retain a spot on our network-wide decentralized editorial board. Want to see if you’re a fit? Visit our very comprehensive “how to apply” page here.

I’m looking forward to a wild few months and we slowly bring this blog network back to life. More to come, soon.

You may have noticed some new activity across the former Green Options Media blogs in the last few days: RSS feeds rumbling to life, Tweets and Facebook posts appearing… and that’s set to ramp up as Important Media gets underway.

Although we consider it a soft-launch–with many bugs to squash and features [...]]]> Hello everyone!

You may have noticed some new activity across the former Green Options Media blogs in the last few days: RSS feeds rumbling to life, Tweets and Facebook posts appearing… and that’s set to ramp up as Important Media gets underway.

Although we consider it a soft-launch–with many bugs to squash and features to develop–starting April 1st, writing on the network will once again be a paid endeavor.

To that end, we’ve begun reactivating editorial positions across the network. Planetsave, Eat.Drink.Better, Crafting a Green World, Ecolocalizer and Feelgood Style will all be back up and running this week under a new (or old!) editor, those editors will be building their writing staffs, and we’ll see how we can help the writer community take shape in a way that reflects the vibrant past of this blog network.

I look forward to making more progress, and all the challenges that come with it.

Thanks,

David

It is time to say goodbye to Green Options Media.

But that doesn’t mean that the constituent parts of Green Options Media are going away. Indeed, the momentum created by Green Options Media in 2008 has had more of an effect across the [...]]]> Welcome! My name is David, and I have an announcement to make:

It is time to say goodbye to Green Options Media.

But that doesn’t mean that the constituent parts of Green Options Media are going away. Indeed, the momentum created by Green Options Media in 2008 has had more of an effect across the web than we ever could have expected, as people and blogs that were supported by the network slowly metastasized (yes, a bad metaphor), creating content and important conversation where there otherwise would have been less or none.

People who saw their first ongoing paid blogging gigs with us now regularly blog for the New York Times, Fast Company, and many other mainstream outlets. Blog and bloggers who contributed to the growth of Green Options Media back then are now spread throughout the web, improving on the original Green Options model with the founding and building of their own networks, including LiveOAK Media and Simple Earth Media.

Okay, okay, GO Media made a few waves. But what’s happening to Green Options?

As of today, GreenOptions.com is a full fledged community, running on Huddler’s innovative forum/wiki/product platform.

Cool. But what about the other blogs?

Say hello to Important Media.

Go to importantmedia.org/advertise for an updated list of the 10 founding Important Media titles.

Looking to get in on the ground floor? Go to importantmedia.org/workwithus.

Thanks for stopping by!

David Anderson