How we’re evolving while staying committed to sustainability and independent journalism

Green Philly’s mission has always been to connect people with sustainability solutions and engage the local sustainability community. We started in 2008 on WordPress and quickly embraced social media to expand our reach. We joined these platforms before business-specific pages even existed and have since grown to over 32,000 followers across social media.

We’re proud of the community we’ve built—both online and offline.

Since November’s election, we’ve had internal discussions about how we use these platforms as factors like artificial intelligence, data ownership, and the networks themselves continue to evolve. After careful consideration, here’s our strategy:

1. Fact-checking and independent journalism are at the core of our mission. We consult experts and local decision-makers—on and off the record—to share what’s happening in the greater Philadelphia region and push for a more sustainable city.
2. We are committed to delivering local journalism. We’re active members of the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative, LION, and the Society of Environmental Journalists and attend training. These memberships help us continuously learn and evolve as part of the journalism community.
3. We are leaving Twitter entirely. Given the platform’s direction and recent national events, we can’t justify continuing to engage there. We are moving our short form to Bluesky. 
4. We are staying on Instagram and Meta. Although we disagree with Meta’s decision to eliminate fact-checkers, Instagram remains our largest platform for engagement. We’re committed to providing factual, reliable information through our pages.
5. Community is at the heart of what we do. Our in-person events and membership programs are the best ways to stay connected with Philadelphia’s sustainability community.
6. We will continue to amplify diverse, inclusive voices and report on the communities at the heart of our mission. Our commitment to diversity is reflected in our events, digital platforms, and actions—and we remain steadfast in upholding these values.
7. Our weekly email newsletter will continue highlighting local news, events, and organizations.

Artificial Intelligence

As a digital platform, we use some automated tools like spellcheck and Grammarly to streamline operations. However, we prioritize hiring local freelancers, supporting local businesses, and working with human creators instead of relying on AI-generated content. If AI is used in any capacity beyond tools we have previously used, we will add disclaimers or cite sources—as we’ve always done.

We remain committed to our mission of informing local stakeholders with the goal of building a more sustainable, equitable city.

We want to hear from you—whether through social media comments and DMs, emails, or real-life conversations. Let us know your thoughts on how we can continue to evolve in uncertain times.

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher