[OKC] social justice and sustainability

[Shauna Struby]

Greetings all -- 

 

There is an email making the rounds among various groups from Thinking Green
Guide for entrepreneurs, Thinking Bigger Business Media, Inc., based in
Kansas City. They are asking for submissions from writers on green business
topics. They are not paying writers anything so please beware - this is not
a enterprise that incorporates social justice into their business practices.


 

Here's the email. I left misspelled words in tact:

 

 I came across your name as associated with the xxx in Oklahoma and wondered
if you might be able to help me. 

 

I am one of the editors working on the Thinking Green Guide for
enterepreneurs. It is the first annual publication that will be distributed
in Kansas, Missouir, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. The goal of this
publication is to provide tips for greening small business at the same time
grow small business in the green sector. We have authors contributing from
all over the country. We are looking for someone to write a piece on what
triple bottom line principles entail and how they apply to entrepreneurs. Is
there someone there that could write this, or someone that is connected to
you that could provide expertise on this? The deadline we are looking at is
at the end of April around the 22nd. The word count is 700-800 words. I've
included our editorial guidelines with this e-mail. If you could please get
back to me by tomorrow morning, I would appreciate it.

 

I emailed them back and asked what they were paying writers. They are not
paying writers. 

 

So here's how this works: You write the piece, you get a byline, they sell
advertising to the publication where your work is published, they keep the
money, they profit off your work. This is not sustainability or being green,
this is just someone seeing an opportunity to make some bucks off the "green
movement" at the expense of writers and volunteers. They are appealing to
your ego, betting that you'll do anything for a byline and a head shot.  

 

So I responded to them below and I would encourage people to think carefully
about the meaning of social justice before getting involved with a group
like this. 

 

 

Dear xxx - 

 

As you probably know, a big part of the "Triple Bottom Line," going green,
and sustainabilty is equity, fair wages and treatment, social justice. This
is  also known as the three "Ps" - People, Planet, Profits - or the three
"Es" - Ecology, Economics, Equity. 

 

Kudos on what you're trying to do - however - if you're going to "walk the
talk," as a for-profit business making money off advertising, paying writers
who are generating content for your guide (what will attract and engage your
audience), is an equitable and fair "thinking green" business practice. The
assumption writers, photographers or any other publication personnel should
work free while others profit from their work, is not only exploitive, it is
an inherently unfair, unjust and unsustainable practice. Someone could and
should write an article about this very subject for your publication but how
ironic it would be to write about this, not be paid for it, and then have
the publishing business make money off it. 

 

Given the above, and since Sustainable OKC supports and encourages equity
and social justice as part of our mission, we cannot pass this along. 

 

Best wishes for future more equitable endeavors -- 

 

Shauna

 

::: shauna lawyer struby

 

 

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