Ben Jervey: Digital Journalist (Caution: Long)

This is a profile I did on GOOD contributor and "The New Ideal" blog
author Ben Jervey for a journalism class.  I think it would be
interesting to anyone who is curious about the life of the GOOD
contributors we read and anyone with an interest in sustainability or
new media.  I just found it in an old hard drive so parts are a bit dated.

How a young journalist is fighting for sustainability both environmentally and personally.

If you ever try and reach Ben Jervey for an interview, the
rescheduling process will tell you about his hectic schedule before he
even has the chance to. Try not to fret however, because he is busy
trying to change the world. At 29, Jervey is part of the latest
generation of journalists, with his work published digitally more often
than in print. He specializes in sustainability and environmentalism,
and spends most of his time working with the Natural Resource Defense
Council (NRDC), editing their citizen journalism website, "Greenlight."
In addition to this, Jervey also writes for GOOD, including a
weekly blog called "The New Ideal," has written a book, "The Big Green
Apple" on New York City's sustainability, and edits and curates
sustaiNYC, a blog that keeps readers updated on the city's
sustainability. If it sounds like a busy schedule, it is, and Jervey
will be the first one to tell you it takes a "special kind of person."
But if you ask him why he puts up with it, you better be ready with
your notebook and pen because his life's passion is about to come out.

Jervey grew up in a town of about 3,000 people in Massachussetts. He
attended Middlebury College, a small liberal arts school in central
Vermont, whose natural and mountainous setting was perfect for his
studies in environmentalism and geography. During his junior year he
took an eye-opening journey to Curitiba, Brazil, a city internationally
known for its sustainability. It was there that Jervey developed his
passion for urban sustainability, as he realized that "the challenges
weren't in small conversational issues," but in new areas like green
design for buildings, which account for 40% of our energy consumption.

Upon graduation from college, Jervey first ventured into the world
of journalism when he published an article in Vermont Magazine. He
explained that he had a bit of help in getting it published, as he had
a connection with Bill McKibben, one of the leading writers in the
fields of climate change and alternative energy, and one of Jervey's
personal heroes. Jervey then moved to New York City, but as he explains
"I came to New York City interested in sustainability, I didn't think I
would be writing." But as he looked around the city and found numerous
green places and movements, he realized there weren't any definitive
sources of collected information for the average New Yorker. Enter "The
Big Green Apple," Jervey's guidebook on how to live a greener lifestyle
in New York City. Jervey had pitched the idea to a number of people and
eventually got a few publishers on board.

Publishing that book, Jervey explains, was his ticket into the world
of journalism, not that he necessarily even wanted to use it. "Writing
had been a passion, not a profession, I kind of got backed into it"
Jervey explains, "There is a demand in the field for this kind of
information, and I became a bit of an authority on the subject." It
wasn't all downhill from there however, as Jervey quickly came to see
the realities of being a budding journalist. Two of the burdens Jervey
refers to most are the erratic and unpredictable hours he has had to
work, and his inability to be selective in his work. "There is always a
low-level anxiety of how to pay the bills, and you have to be organized
to make sure you have received all the checks for the ten assignments
you've been working on. It sucks taking any assignment for money; you
always try to get to the point where you can say no." Jervey's relief
came in being hired by the NRDC to edit its citizen journalism blog,
"Greenlight," as it provided a steady, constant paycheck that he could
depend on. He advises any young journalist to "try and get a consistent
gig, and take the pressure off financially."

Jervey also tries to create some daily routine to fight the
unpredictable work schedule. He tries to devote an hour every morning
to sustaiNYC, the blog he curates and edits and his "personal mission"
to help promote sustainability in the city. After that, he spends an
hour or two e-mailing editors and sources, before hunkering down in the
afternoon. Come 1 pm, he shuts everything down, cuts out distractions,
sometimes even unplugs his phone, and gets to his main writing
assignment for the next 3 or 4 hours. However, more often than not this
doesn't happen, as editors or publishers call and force his work into
the evenings. Ironically, Jervey finds it difficult to even see the
outdoors, as a walk around the city for an hour or two becomes a luxury
on slow days. Luckily for Jervey, the work that he produces in this
hectic schedule is turning some heads.

Jervey recently wrote a story for GOOD Magazine called "Train in
Vain," a feature story in which he took a three day train journey
across the nation and then reflected on his trip and the rail industry.
To the unsuspecting reader, this feature would be defined as a travel
story or a critique on the US rail system. To Jervey however, this
piece is green. Within the detailed and entertaining stories of the
quirky passengers, long delays, and beautiful landscapes on his
journey, Jervey tastefully sneaks in tidbits of information explaining
how train travel fits into a greener world. "A growing number of
transportation wonks, energy experts, and politicians see the railroads
as a priority for America, as a solution to congestion and rising gas
prices. Per passenger mile, an Amtrak train uses about half the energy
of an airplane, and can carry twice the number of people," Jervey
writes.

The "Train in Vain" article provides an example of Jervey's
strategy for bringing green to front pages and feature stories, as he
argues "if you make something a green piece it only reaches a certain
target audience." Jervey chastises the media for what he calls its
"marginalization of green," in relegating green stories to back
sections and its improper handling of the issue of climate change.
However, papers place articles in front pages based on newsworthiness,
and as green stories aren't going to sell as many papers, you can
hardly blame them. This presents a challenge to Jervey and his writing.
"I believe a number of green stories could be front page health or
business news" he proclaims. For example, a story on sustainable
buildings could front the business section for cutting energy costs,
the health section for lessening air pollution, or the arts section for
new architecture. In his most telling moment, Jervey describes his
aspirations; "My greatest goal is to make people better understand
what's at stake. Not just make them aware but understand just how
serious these problems are and how these solutions work. It fits into a
greater progressive plan, and we need to scrub off the green stigma."

Jervey also sees challenges in accomplishing his goals in new media.
While Jervey lauds citizen journalism for having the ability to bring
people together to share information and tell their stories, he sees
the pitfalls as well. "There is no quality control, and most stories
probably have bias" Jervey warns, "Everyone has a blog." This
environment can create a confusing and distracting environment for
someone seeking information, and Jervey hopes that a form of
"meritocracy" will develop in the coming years. "I hope to see people
migrate towards good blogs and be more selective in what they read;
hopefully people will still see the value in real journalism and
research."

In case you haven't noticed, there is a lot of hope and ambition in
Jervey's approach to journalism. If he had his way, skillfully written
pieces like "Train in Vain" would bring green issues to the front pages
and help people understand how it connects to other areas and
industries. If he had his way, readers would utilize the tools of the
internet appropriately and journalists could successfully and
fruitfully take their work to the web. But if there is one thing Jervey
has learned so far, it is that there is a big gap in journalism between
doing things the way you'd like and coping with the realities of the
industry.

For young journalists like Ben Jervey though, there is no other way
to help your cause but to stay on point and keep pushing through. Even
when asked for any general advice for a journalism student such as
myself, he stated, with a fair caution of bias, that his "Greenlight"
citizen journalism blog would provide a great opportunity to start
writing a few clips that future employers could read. This is the
reality of having a career in new media journalism, where you can
specialize your work and content to fit your personal passions, even if
that means struggling to pay the bills. While critics may see Jervey's
advocating for green to be more integrated into traditional news
mediums as "greencentric" and applicable to any area of interest, they
have to respect his ambition and novel approach. Also, Jervey would be
quick to remind them that not too many other areas of interest involve
the global implications of climate change and energy consumption. So
with that in mind, keyboard in hand, and sustainability at heart,
Jervey marches on into this strange and changing land of journalism.