About Us
Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave is an online news magazine focused on the dynamic communities, businesses, and residents of Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and the surrounding area. We cover what's next in entrepreneurship, creative culture, and urban development in and around the city, and are part of the
Issue Media Group family.
Meet Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s team and
contact us here.
Theresa Coty O'Neil, Managing Editor
Al Jones, On the Ground Kalamazoo Project Editor
Kathy Jennings, A Way Home: Housing Solutions Project Editor
Vicky Kettner, Voices of Youth Engagement Manager
Jane Parikh, On the Ground Battle Creek Project Editor
Contributors
Mark Wedel, Zinta Aistars,
Rosemary Parker,
Casey Grooten,
Andy Robins
Photography Contributors
Fran Dwight, John Grap,
Taylor Scamehorn
Social Media
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter
Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave is published by
Issue Media Group, co-founded by Brian J. Boyle and Paul Schutt. Incorporated in 2005 in Detroit, Michigan, IMG operates a national network of online media outlets leveraging the power of solutions-based journalism to report on community change. Our publications aim to connect readers to their communities’ most visionary and innovative people, projects, businesses, and organizations – fostering civic capacity, improving understanding of key issues, amplifying underserved voices, and building community attachment during a time of local media decline.
We work with like-minded stakeholders across public, private, nonprofit, and grassroots organizations whose values and missions align with ours through an underwriting model of publishing. Our journalists connect with community stakeholders through regular listening sessions designed to build trust and shape authentic community stories.
IMG's work has been recognized and supported by leading journalism organizations nationally including INC Magazine, Knight Foundation, Columbia Journalism Review, Facebook, Lenfest Institute, Google, Solutions Journalism Network, Ground Source, and Society for Professional Journalists.
Tips and feedback
If you have a tip or suggestion for us, please email
[email protected].
Advertising
If you would like to advertise on Southwest Michigan's Second Wave, or in any of our Issue Media Group publications, contact us
here.
Photographs
If you would like more information about purchasing photos, please contact
[email protected].
Be our friend and follower
Follow us on
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter and
sign up for our free weekly newsletter.
How to pitch us freelance stories
Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave receives valuable contributions from a network of talented freelance writers, photographers, and videographers. We encourage anyone interested in contributing articles, personal essays, photos, videos, social media projects, or any other creative method of storytelling on a topic related to Southwest Michigan to email
[email protected] with a pitch describing the story you want to tell, how you plan to tell it, and why you think our audience will be interested.
Managing Editor -- Theresa Coty O'Neil
Theresa Coty O'Neil is the Managing Editor of Southwest Michigan Second Wave, the Project Lead for Voices of Youth Battle Creek, and the Project Editor of our Faith in Action Series. An award-winning writer and educator, she is passionate about sharing the impactful stories of Southwest Michigan. In her spare time, she writes flash fiction, gardens, travels, and conducts journal therapy workshops. You can reach out to her
HERE.
Contact Us
Please send all press releases and article submissions to
[email protected].
For sponsorship and partnership opportunities, please visit
here or
here.