Root Tulsa is now The Pickup, an independent journalism and commentary website.
How did this come to be?
For years, Alicia Chesser, Zack Reeves and I (Matt Carney) worked together at Root, where we managed and curated a public events platform, the purpose being to inform people in Tulsa about all the events happening in their city. About a year and a half ago, we conducted a major review of that effort, which found that the audience wanted us to push further beyond just the “what” and into the “why,” “how,” and “who.”
So we set about building The Pickup to do just that.
If you liked Root, you’re going to love The Pickup; it’s everything we’ve been bringing you for years and way, way more. We’ll publish feature stories, public affairs commentary, reviews, news roundups, columns, guides, deep dives into niche oddities and takes on Tulsa you won’t get anywhere else. With plenty of alt-weekly energy in our DNA, we’ll offer alternatives to mainstream narratives about why this city is the way it is as well as informed views on what might make it better for more people.
We want to give you a fresh view of this city, one that isn’t inclined towards boosterism, or covered with advertisements for unaffordable homes. The site is built to run smoothly, with a user experience that isn’t interrupted by autoplay videos or flashing pop-ups. We’ll continue the arts and culture journalism you remember from the Root Tulsa newsletter, and build on it in partnership with This Land Press. Now, to answer a few questions you might have.
Why such a major change?
We were acquired by This Land Press in 2024, a move that will empower us to make more bold and fun editorial decisions, like publishing opinions that not everyone necessarily likes. We’ll also republish classic works from the back issues of This Land from time to time, and pick up (if you’ll excuse the pun) on ideas and themes from their stories. Alicia, Zack and I also fortunately got stakes in the new business, which is a huge plus.