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.
What else is changing?
- You can find reviews (formerly "Hoot + Holler") under our Reviews tag and our weekly event listings (formerly “Under the Radar”) at our new Tulsa Picks section. Subscribers get the first look at Tulsa Picks via email each week, as well as early access to our weekly cover story and, of course, unlimited access to everything we publish.
- Our new website offers a format that makes it easier to share and distribute our stories with your friends. And you’ll be able to join in the conversation with comments.
- Alicia's newsletter musings will now be baked into the editorial approach of the whole website. You can find her upcoming events commentary in Tulsa Picks and tons of other coverage at her byline.
- Are you a creator or event organizer? Tell us what you’re up to! We won’t have an event calendar as part of this new project, but you can still submit your event listings here for possible inclusion in Tulsa Picks.
- We are providing modest spaces for advertising opportunities (ad space and sponsorships) for local businesses. If you’re interested, get in touch!
How do you make money now?
This Land Press funds our day-to-day operations and owns the majority stake in the company. The Online Journalism Project funds our arts reviews and has done so since 2023. We also sell a limited amount of advertising on the site. But our strongest hedge against instability is acquiring subscribers, which we will need to do over time if we’re ever going to pay our own bills.
So: subscribe! It’s the easiest thing in the world. Right now we’re offering $6 for 6 months, which is crazy, we’re stupid to do it, and we hope you’ll take us up on it. (Use the code PICK6FOR6 or SUNDAYSPECIAL at our products page.) In return, you’ll get to read the best writers in Tulsa doing funny, thoughtful, and conversation-provoking commentary you can’t get anywhere else, reviews of local events, what’s in and what’s out, and, of course, a veritable treasure trove of This Land stories.
We formed this company because Tulsa punches above its weight for culture and we think it deserves a voice smart enough to facilitate those conversations. We also just believe at a base level that local writing and journalism can and should be fun.
We’re also really tired. We’re tired of bullshit, tired of A.I. sludge, tired of ads clogging up the screen, and tired of uncritical Tulsa boosterism written by people who don’t care about it. We live here, we work here, and we write here. Welcome to The Pickup.
