(Detailed)

Wire Services
Bay Area Transportation News ·· Transportation news from San Francisco Bay Area newspapers. Common Dreams ·· A combination of original content and newswire stories "for the progressive community." EnviroNews ·· These folks look for news items from other online sources and provide links to them, updated daily. Planet Ark ·· Of the mainstream wire services, Reuters has the best coverage of environmental issues. Planet Ark collects them here, in one handy location with a searchable archives. There are also some environmental photos from Reuters, but you can find many more of those by searching the Yahoo Daily News site (mentioned below). Tidepool ·· Coverage of the northwest coast of North America, from northern California to southern Alaska; a beautiful area with lots of ecological diversity. This is an assortment of original material and links to other media sources in that area. truthout/environment ·· Quite similar to Common Dreams. Yahoo Environment & Transportation News ·· A grab bag of articles from wire services and online newspapers. There's not much content here, and in fact you can get more environment news at Yahoo's Daily News site (mentioned below), in the "Science" and "Health" sections.
AlterNet ·· For years, AlterNet has been a wonderful source of news and syndicated columns for alternative and independent publications. Now it's also an online magazine in its own right. However, take note that they do pass up important stories. Google News ·· The mighty search engine is put to use seeking out news stories. Independent Media Center ·· During the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, while mainstream media outlets were ignoring and distorting the truth, this site emerged as a way to get news directly from the source. It has grown to many cities around the world and remains a vital source of information. Indymedia S.F. Bay Area ·· There are two Indymedias in the San Francisco Bay Area, one for the city and the other for the area, though of course there's plenty of overlap. Indymedia N.Y.C. ·· New York City's Indymedia also has a printed edition, the Indypendent. Red Rock Eater News Service ·· This is one guy, Phil Agre, sending out email about things that interest him. The stuff is topical and newsworthy, and duly qualifies as a news service. Yahoo Daily News ·· (Search) ·· Of the mainstream newswire portals out there, this is the one I've had the easiest time navigating. Make good use of the archives and searching features.

Newspapers
These publications were local to me: BeyondChron ·· Online alternative newspaper, "The Voice of the Rest." See below to find out what it's actually beyond ... San Francisco Bay Guardian ·· This is the best alternative newsweekly for the city of San Francisco. The Guardian prints important stories that the San Francisco dailies won't touch, making it essential reading for anyone who wants to know what's going on in the Bay Area. Unfortunately they've lost some of their best writers in the last few years. San Francisco Bay View ·· Published in the Bay View neighborhood of San Francisco, this is one of the nation's leading black newspapers. San Francisco Call & San Francisco Flier ·· The Call is a free four-page newsletter that's taken the name of a San Francisco newspaper that was published in the 1800s. Each issue has a handful of articles of varying quality. The Flier is an earlier project of the same publisher, and is pretty much the same deal. San Francisco Chronicle ·· (Search) ·· San Francisco's main daily paper, which has been a national joke for decades. In November of 2000, the staff of the San Francisco Examiner joined the Chron and made it a slightly better newspaper. Slightly. The publishers of the Examiner, after all, inspired the phrase "yellow journalism." San Francisco Examiner ·· San Francisco's other daily paper, under new ownership since November of 2000. At first it was so appallingly bad, it made the Chron look good by comparison. Eventually it got pretty good at local coverage, but then they hired the worst columnist that the Chron had the good sense to fire. SF Weekly ·· I used to read the "Dog Bites" column when Laurel Wellman was writing it, but now I find little to recommend this weekly. It used to be a decent alternative, but once it was acquired by New Times, it quickly generated into lite lifestyle fluff. Its politics are rather naïve, and the writers compensate by being snide. Snideness can be amusing, but only to a point, and never when it's thoroughly misinformed. Contra Costa Times ·· The news just a ways inland (east) of me. So-so. East Bay Express ·· An alternative newsweekly for the cities of Berkeley and Oakland and the surrounding area (east of me, but not so far inland). For years it was one of the best weeklies I've ever read, but recently it, too, was acquired by New Times, and seems to be rapidly transforming into an East Bay SF Weekly. Marin Independent Journal ·· News from just a ways north of me. So-so. Metro ·· An alternative newsweekly from just a ways south of me. Sacramento Bee ·· (Search) ·· News from the California state capitol. So-so. San Jose Mercury News ·· (Search) ·· News from just a ways south of me. Easily the best newspaper in the Bay Area, though a bit too Establishment-oriented. They're starting to cover San Francisco, and doing a decent job of it.
These publications are not local to me: Boston Globe ·· I used to live in the Boston area, where I read this paper. I miss having a local newspaper of this caliber. Christian Science Monitor ·· An Establishment national newspaper that covers a lot of things that other Establishment national newspapers don't. International Herald Tribune ·· A newspaper for Americans travelling abroad. Pretty handy. ·· Sometimes the most cogent news out there.
These publications are local to me: New York Daily News ·· Tabloid format, but don't confuse it with the Post. New York Newsday ·· Probably the best source of NYC-local news. New York Post ·· A tabloid, with all that implies. New York Times ·· The Times is called "the newspaper of record," and as the flagship of American print journalism, it must be read; but it's very Establishment and much more conservative than people give it credit for. You can read some on-target criticism in columns by Alexander Cockburn (see below) and in the pages of Extra! (also below). The Village Voice ·· (Watch this space.) Brooklyn Papers ·· (Watch this space.)

Periodicals
Boycott Action News ·· Indispensible resource for keeping track of boycotts. Car Busters ·· An international anti-car magazine. Also a source of many resources for anti-car activists. Carfree Times ·· An informative bimonthly newsletter about carfree cites. Earth First! Journal ·· A hodge-podge of contributions from Earth First! activists. Since EF! is a movement, not an organization, the Journal doesn't represent any one point of view, by a long shot. I've collected writings that reflect some of my own viewpoints within the EF! movement, and put them on the web (see below). Earth Island Journal ·· The magazine of the Earth Island Institute. Jam-packed with news and investigative articles. Faultline  (New!) ·· "Required Reading for Californians," this new online magazine is the latest project of Chris Clarke, a stellar environmental writer, journalist and editor. Momentum ·· "The magazine for self-propelled people" is a fun and informative read. Satya ·· A journal of "vegetarianism, environmentalism, animal advocacy, and social justice." My own vegetarianism and animal advocacy is informed by environmentalism and social justice, and it's nice to have a vegetarian journal that strikes the same balance. Terrain ·· The magazine of the Ecology Center in Berkeley, California. When I lived on that side of the Bay, I was privileged to write for this publication and serve on its editorial board with a group of excellent writers, led by editor-in-chief Chris Clarke. I've put my own contributions online (see below). There's another environmental magazine named Terrain and yet another named Whole Terrain; both are unrelated. Transportation Equity ·· A quarterly newsletter about transportation issues, from the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. Velo Vision ·· This shows what's happening in the world of bicycles, with a focus on culture (of course), and on some really strange and interesting bicycles, bicycle accessories, a bicycle-based oddities. Edited by the former editor of Bike Culture Quarterly, a publication that is sorely missed. World Watch ·· The magazine of the Worldwatch Institute, whose mission is to keep an eye on global environmental issues and report them. Essential information.
Adbusters ·· The hearts and minds of North Americans are constantly assaulted by marketing, and this magazine aids and abets the resistance to that domination. Unsurprisingly, it also features the best cultural commentary in print these days. As We Are (Archived) ·· When a bunch of crypto-neoconservative nonsense about "generation X" was being published in the mainstream press, this zine, published by and for young working people, was a great antidote. The Baffler ·· American culture becomes more and more a matter of commodity, to the point that even various forms of dissent are carefully contained and sold back to us. This journal unmasks the whole process. BKLYN ·· Very nice cultural magazine about Brooklyn. Only one issue has been published, but so far, so good! The Brooklyn Rail ·· "Critical perspectives on arts, politics, and culture" from another fine Brooklyn magazine. Classic Liberal Quaker ·· "Liberal" is such a mush term these days, but these folks use "classic liberal" to mean "as if people matter." Counterpunch ·· Alexander Cockburn is perhaps best known as a columnist for the Nation (see below) and for coäuthoring the "Nature and Politics" column with Jeffrey St. Clair. Counterpunch is an indispensible political newsletter put out by Cockburn and Ken Silverstein, and also including some work by St. Clair. Great muckraking. Extra! ·· Fairness and Accuracy In Media keeps tabs on the media and reports what they find in this publication. Jinn Magazine ·· The online magazine of the Pacific News Service. Mother Jones ·· I subscribed to this magazine back in the heyday of its investigative reporting. It's gone through quite a few changes since then, and while it's currently got a bit more gloss than I like, you can still find some gems in it. Multinational Monitor ·· Keeps an eye on what those pesky multinational corporations are up to! The Nation ·· The finest journal for America's odd notion of a "left." The New Yorker ·· I only read this for the cartoons. Okay, and for the writing, which is often top-notch. NTK (Excuses) ·· News of the high-tech industry, covered with liberal doses of sarcasm. Which, after all, is the best way to cover something that's hyped so much. Nonviolent Activist ·· Published by the War Resisters League, this magazine reports on peace efforts and other nonviolent activism around the world. On The Issues ·· Feminism in harmony with other progressive movements. Race Traitor ·· I can't think of better words to describe what this incredible anti-racism journal is about than their own: "The existence of the white race depends on the willingness of those assigned to it to place their racial interests above class, gender, or any other interests they hold. The defection of enough of its members to make it unreliable as a predictor of behavior will lead to its collapse." Confused? Follow the link and read the entire statement of belief. It's brilliant. Spy ·· America's best satire magazine in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Stay Free ·· A zine devoted to keeping free in a commodity culture. Tikkun ·· "A bimonthly Jewish critique of politics, culture, & society" with unique, on-target viewpoints you won't find anywhere else.

Articles, Columns, Essays
Terrain ·· A little archive of my articles for Terrain magazine, including a very early article about Critical Mass and featuring my environmental media criticism column, "The Funny Papers." Earth First! ·· A selection of articles from my favorite activists in the Earth First! movement, especially Judi Bari. A few of these articles are from the Earth First! Journal, but most are from other sources.
Dave Barry ·· A stint at the Associated Press left him with the ability to do dead-on deadpan; and he started his humor column started in an idealistic do-it-yourself, back-to-the-land sort of magazine -- a great juxtaposition. While this contrast isn't as evident these days, he remains an astute observer and a hilarious writer. alt.fan.dave_barry  (Archive) ·· Barry has been popular on the 'net since his very first article in Rodale's New Shelter magazine, in which he described how to make a board. Fans typed in every word of this and shared it with each other, including ASCII renditions of a satisfied reader proudly holding his new homemade board. Eventually, this popularity found its way into a newsgroup. Jim Dwyer ·· Probably the best reporter/columnist in New York City. (Not to be confused with yours truly.) George Monbiot ·· A British writer whose trenchant columnists are informed by a career in investigative journalism and a life of activism against roads and for the environment. The Straight Dope ·· A question-and-answer column written by Cecil Adams, who's never wrong and is gleefully obnoxious about his infallibility. (Actually, he has dabbled in being wrong by getting information from the Internet. What was he thinking?) alt.fan.cecil-adams  (Archive) ·· I created this newsgroup to hobnob with other Cecil Adams fans. It's sort of evolved into a "The Usenet Dope" forum: people post questions and others post a wide variety of answers, some of which are even accurate on occasion.

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