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Charles Pekow on Muck Rack

Charles Pekow

Verified
Bethesda, Maryland, Washington, D.C.
As seen in: AXS, The Hill, Mongabay, Truthout, The Wire (India), NewsBreak, Washington Monthly, Utility Dive, Craft Beer, Eco-Business and
Covers:  alcohol, bicycling and alternative transportation, environmental issues, etc.
Doesn't Cover: Don't do anniversary journalism. Don't write a lot of personality journalism or list journalism but will occasionally.
Independent journalist who covers outdoor recreation, government, the beer industry and whatever.
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Charles Pekow’s Biography

I am an independent investigative journalist who has constantly reinvested myself to keep up with the times. I've written extensively on education from preschool to higher ed, government and social issues as well as environmental and legal matters. In recent years, I have written mainly but not exclusively about the alcohol industry, outdoor recreation and active transportation. I have also written book and music reviews and contributed to several books.

I am based in Washington and while I haven't made a career out of covering one topic, I specialize in finding important stories that the media tend to overlook. I'll take on subjects other journalists are scared to touch, having exposed the dark side of alleged saintly institutions and celebrities such as the American Red Cross, Ralph Nader and Bruno Bettelheim. I have exposed the dangers of exploding pipelines and the demise of the Endangered Species Act. I have been honored with many journalism awards, including the National Press Club Award for Best News Story and the Washington Writing Prize for Best Reported Story. Twice, Project Censored has credited me for breaking stories deemed “important, timely, fact-based, well documented, and under-reported in the corporate media.”

My stories have appeared in numerous newspapers (Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, San Jose Mercury News, International Herald-Tribune, Miami Herald, The Hill, Community College Week, Washington City Paper, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, San Francisco Examiner, Los Angeles Post-Examiner, Montgomery Journal, etc.) as well as magazines ranging from the Washington Monthly to Working Mother, Frontpage, PTO Today, Baltimore, Maryland Life, Earth Island Journal, Quill, Dirt Rag, Early Childhood News, In These Times, Counterpunch, CraftBeer.com, CIDERCRAFT, Diverse Issues in Higher Educationc Cycling West/Cycling Utah and many more.

I also serve regularly as a judge of journalism contests and chaired the print awards committee of the Society of Professional Journalists Washington DC Pro Chapter. I now write regularly for Cycling West, Mid-Atlantic Brew News and other on-line and print periodicals. I'm eager and available to take on all sorts of assignments from investigative work to features about recreation, reviews, and more.

When I'm not reading, reporting or writing; you'll probably find me working out in the gym in my building; or if it's a weekend, attending one of the many cultural events offered in the DC area.