Bitterroot is an online magazine & newsletter about the people and ideas shaping the Western United States.
From 2019-2021, Bitterroot chronicled the politics, culture, economy, and environment of the West. We covered everything from innovation in Silicon Valley to endangered species, always from the perspective of people who live, work, and play throughout the West. Because while every Westerner may be different, there is one value that unites us: We love the place we call home.
Bitterroot practiced patient, informed journalism that takes time to report. Our stories and analyses filtered out the noise to deliver readers the most consequential information from around the region — whether they live in Tacoma, Tucson, or anywhere in between.
Our coverage was guided by three principles:
- The West is interconnected. What happens in Los Angeles matters in Wyoming, and vice-versa.
- The West is a hotbed for ideas. The political, social, and environmental solutions developed here can have regional and national impacts, and it’s our goal to highlight the region’s problem-solvers.
- The West is the best. The geographic and cultural diversity of the region is unparalleled. Bitterroot is invested in a better future for the region, and aims to celebrate the West’s amazing people and places.
About our founders
Jake Bullinger is a father and writer who lives in Tacoma, Washington. He grew up in Mountain View, a mining and ranching community in southwest Wyoming, before moving to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah. From there, Jake lived in various spots around western Washington before settling in Tacoma. Jake’s writing about the West has appeared in Outside, The Atlantic, Fast Company, High Country News, and other publications.
When he’s not writing this newsletter or wrangling his young son, Jake spends as much time as possible outdoors. He skis, mountain bikes, kayaks, and cultivates native landscaping in his yard. You can find him on Instagram and Twitter.
Maggie Mertens grew up in suburban Seattle before leaving the West for Massachusetts, Brooklyn, and Washington, D.C. to launch a journalism career that took her from NPR to Bloomberg to Glamour. Four years ago, Maggie realized the Northeast was not the center of the universe, no matter how much the magazine world insisted it was, and moved back to Seattle to shed light on under-reported stories and get back in touch with her rapidly changing hometown. Her work has been published in Glamour, The Atlantic, Pacific Standard, The Cut, Deadspin, ESPNw, and The Guardian, among others.
Want to connect? Contact Jake here.