I’m a writer, editor, and multimedia journalist who covers energy technology and the relationship between the environment and business. My passion is to find a fascinating story, research the hell out of it, and present it in an engaging, exciting way.
I write and co-design Innovate, a column in Sierra magazine about renewable-energy technology and the people who make it, and pen the “Man vs. Nature” blog at Forbes. Formerly I served as lifestyle editor of Sierra, and currently I am managing editor of the Matter Network, a hub for cleantech and sustainability news.
The story I’m most interested in these days is a biggie, perhaps the biggest story of the 21st Century. How do we see to it that all the world’s people have the energy and food and stuff they need, even as the population grows and our climate starts to change? Can we do it without trashing the planet? The quality of our lives, and perhaps our very survival, depends on the outcome.
As a former newspaper reporter and as a new-media editor, I bring a range of skills to the inquiry. My schooling and a lifetime of good editors have drummed into me a ferocious commitment to accuracy, finding the right data, asking hard questions and conducting insightful interviews. As an online editor, I know how to use SEO, analytics and curation to extend a publication’s impact.
I love exploring storytelling in all its multimedia forms. On a 2007 climb up Mt. Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America, I did an audio blog by satellite and later turned the story into a podcast. When fate sent me to Manhattan for a year, I turned the experience into the blog A Year in New York. I sometimes accompany my written work with videos, and am a storyteller with SpeakeasyDC, Washington D.C.’s premier forum for true stories told live.
To recap my 14 years in journalism, I hold a bachelor’s in communication from University of California, San Diego and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. I’ve been a staff writer for three California newspapers, covering education for The Reporter in Vacaville, crime and courts for The Argus in Fremont, and the city halls of Berkeley and Richmond for the Contra Costa Times. I’ve worked as a freelance correspondent for Reuters News Service in East Africa, and my stories have appeared in Wired News, Macworld, Streaming Media, American Way, Men’s Journal, Popular Mechanics, and other publications. See my favorite stories here.
I live in Washington D.C. and am partnered to a single-speed bike, a compost bin, and my wife Anjali.
If you have a good story, or are interested in having me to consult with or write for your publication, email me at davidferris <at> mac <dot> com.
