Arts
Read More ›
Sci-Fi in Seattle: New Local Media Venture
Scout cofounder Berit Anderson answers a few questions about her new journalism venture
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.
Berit Anderson stretched the frontiers of community-based journalism during her four-year tenure as managing editor of online journal Crosscut. With her new media company, she blows them into outer space.
The member-supported website called Scout aims to provide a nuanced and constructive exploration of world-shaping tech developments—genetic augmentation, workplace automation, private space exploration and more—with a content mix that includes nonfiction stories by investigative journalists and science fiction by acclaimed authors. Yes, sci-fi focused on those same tech topics and set in a future no more than seven years away. Look for Scout’s (joinscout.com) first stories this fall.
What inspired the company’s name?
Berit Anderson: A scout is someone who ventures ahead of the rest and identifies threats, new resources and new opportunities. That’s what we’re trying to do with our members. We see each of them as scouts in their own right, contributing insight and experience that gives the community as a whole a better picture of what’s really happening right now and what the future might hold. Also, we may or may not have a cat named Scout that wouldn’t stop staring at us while we were naming our company.
What is the value of pairing sci-fi set in the very near future with investigative reporting?
BA: As one of our members put it recently, by the time a TechCrunch or a GeekWire reports on the launch of a new Google product, their R&D department is already using science fiction as a blueprint for building their next product. Our goal is to use science fiction to give our readers an edge through strategic foresight.
What sci-fi character would be the ideal mascot for Scout?
BA: Thufir Hawat, from Frank Herbert’s Dune. Hawat is a Mentat, a discipline prized for its analytical capabilities and attention to nuance. Hawat is a gem among Mentats and an adviser to royalty, helping them to see the benefits and impacts of big, sweeping decisions. Above all, he is fiercely loyal, with an unshakeable moral compass.
Follow Us
SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction
Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way.
What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common? According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot. “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…
Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power
Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.
The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture. This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…
Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan
Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.
Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…
Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…