Will Potter

Categories

Sustainability

Politics/Government

organizing

Law/Policy

Journalism

environmentalism

Environmental Racism

Bioethics

Activism

The War on Terrorism has come home. Corporations and politicians are labeling activists "eco-terrorists" and national security threats. Think red-baiting, with a green twist. Will Potter explains this “Green Scare” by weaving his investigative reporting and experience testifying before Congress with visuals of “eco-terrorism” scare-mongering in action.

Will Potter is an award-winning independent journalist based in Washington, D.C., who focuses on how the “War on Terrorism” affects civil liberties. He has tracked how lawmakers and corporations have labeled animal rights and environmental activists as “eco-terrorists.” And he has closely followed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, the Earth Liberation Front arrests in “Operation Backfire,” and the landmark First Amendment case of the SHAC 7.

Will has testified before the U.S. Congress on his reporting, and frequently speaks with journalists and in public forums about efforts to roll back civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. Speaking engagements have included the New York City Bar Association, Yale Law School and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, among many others.

He has written for publications including: The Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, Legal Affairs, The Chronicle of Higher Education, In These Times, The Texas Observer, The Washington City Paper, Z and Counterpunch. His work has circulated widely on political websites, and has appeared in textbooks such as Opposing Viewpoints. He is also the creator of GreenIsTheNewRed.com, where he blogs about the Green Scare and history repeating itself.

Will frequently ghostwrites op-ed columns for public figures—including a former U.S. president, members of Congress and a former assistant defense secretary—on civil liberties issues like the Patriot Act. They have appeared in publications like USA Today, The Washington Times and The Orlando Sentinel.

His reporting on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act has been recognized by Project Censored “for outstanding investigative journalism,” as one of the top 25 “stories that didn’t make the news” in 2007. He has also received the Mark of Excellence award for feature writing, presented by the Society of Professional Journalists, in addition to recognition from Scripps Howard, Lantern Books and the Press Club of Dallas.

Will graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. He is currently pursuing a master’s in writing from The Johns Hopkins University, while working full time.

Contact Will Potter's speaker agent: Lizzie Cole, 215 473 0308 / 215 888 1756.