About Us

Our Story

The South Seattle Emerald™ was founded in 2014 by born-and-raised South Seattleite and journalist Marcus Harrison Green to fill a gap in Seattle's media landscape: the lack of authentic, consistent coverage of the South End’s stories and voices.

What began as a response to neglect has grown into a thriving community-led newsroom that celebrates and challenges, amplifies and questions — always with the South End at its heart.

Our Mission & Vision

As a nonprofit community-led media outlet, the Emerald's mission is to provide a platform and be a megaphone for the voices of South Seattle.

Our vision is to amplify and accurately represent the experiences of South Seattle’s vibrant cultural and geographic communities through independent, accessible journalism that is free for all, explains the systems shaping our neighborhoods, celebrates our creativity and resilience, and strengthens civic engagement.

What We Cover

From local news to neighborhood art shows, the Emerald covers the people, movements, and ideas shaping the South End.

Our reporting spans:

• Civic life and public policy through a racial and social justice lens.
• Health, environment, and equity issues impacting our neighborhoods.
• Arts, culture, and local businesses that celebrate South Seattle's creativity and entrepreneurship.
• Community voices and opinions rooted in lived experience.
• Education, youth, and family stories that uplift future generations.

Every story we tell centers the brilliance, resilience, and diversity of the South End — because what happens here matters.

Our Team & Board of Directors

Our work is made possible by a dedicated team of journalists, editors, operations administrators, and community contributors — each bringing lived experience, creativity, and commitment to storytelling in South Seattle. Together, they ensure our coverage is guided by the communities we serve.

Our Board of Directors shares that commitment, providing oversight and strategic vision with deep roots in social justice, media, and community leadership. Our board helps ensure the Emerald remains accountable, equitable, and grounded in the South End.

Learn more about our team and board:

➡️ Our Team | Our Board

Our Standards & Ethics

Our commitment to trustworthy community journalism is rooted in transparency, integrity, and accountability. We hold ourselves to high standards, and we make those standards public.

We maintain clear policies on editorial independence, conflicts of interest and outside employment, and the use of generative AI, among others. These guidelines ensure that our reporting remains free from undue influence, our contributors disclose any potential personal interest, and our coverage reflects the values of the communities we serve.

You can find all of our standards and policy documents on our Standards & Ethics webpage .

Our Impact & Recognition

We measure our impact through relationships and representation — how our stories strengthen South Seattle’s communities.

Our goal is simple but profound: to prove that what happens in South Seattle matters and that our stories continue to inform, inspire, and empower our communities.

The Emerald newsroom and our reporters have earned recognition for excellence in community-centered journalism. Learn more on our Awards & Recognition page .

Funding & Financial Transparency

The Emerald is a nonprofit newsroom committed to transparency and integrity in everything we do — including how we're funded. Our work is supported by individual donors, grants, sponsorships, and advertising, but all editorial decisions are made independently of our funding sources.

We do not accept anonymous donations, political contributions, or funds that could compromise our editorial independence.

Learn more on our Funding & Financial Transparency webpage .

Mailing Address

Tax Information

Federal Tax ID (EIN): 47-3677408

See our Funding & Financial Transparency page for more information about our financial support.