Steven Yoder
Woodstock, NY USA
10 Years Experience
Professional Experience
A writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, I’ve written for Salon, The American Prospect, Good, Men's Health, The Fiscal Times, and others—my work also has been picked up by many outlets, including The Huffington Post, MSN Money, and The Week. While my focus is domestic policy--particularly criminal justice, immigration, and youth policy--I also write about real estate, business, and a range of topics from how to manage a brain freeze to whether people can be happier after getting fired and how much truth there is on consumer complaint websites. Though a journalist first, I also write winning contract proposals and have 20 years of experience as a managing editor, substantive editor, and copy editor. Member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Writers Union.
Expertise
- Editor 22 Years
- Reporter 14 Years
- Writer 20 Years
Specialty
- Business (general) 5 Years
- Real Estate 5 Years
- Crime 5 Years
Industries
- Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines 5 Years
- Newsletter - Trade 8 Years
- Nonprofit 18 Years
Media Client List (# Assignments Last 2 Yrs)
- The Fiscal Times(10+)
- The American Prospect(6-10)
- The Crime Report(10+)
- Salon(3-5)
- Comstock's(10+)
Corporate Client List (# Assignments Last 2 Yrs)
- JBS International(10+)
Other work history
Freelance Proposal Writer (2006 to present) Consultant Writer-Editor (1998 to present) Managing Editor/Senior Writer-Editor, National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (1994 to 2001)
Foreign Language Skills
Fluent in Spanish
Equipment
Laptop Digital camera Audio recorder
References
“The piece was fantastic; I’m glad to see it’s helping trigger a new debate.” Blake Zeff, Politics Editor, Salon.com "Thanks, Steve. Nice piece in print and on the web this week. I hope you will continue to pitch us. You're very easy to work with!" Emily Parsons, Managing Editor, The American Prospect "GREAT piece. We'd been talking about trying to do a big project on the effects of this and when you pitched this it felt very serendipitous! Thanks!" Julia Dahl, Deputy Managing Editor, The Crime Report "I really like this--you nailed our tone, and this service piece is very useful." Andrew Daniels, Assistant Editor, MensHealth.com "I assume you saw your story yesterday. I thought it turned out really well. Thanks for all your hard work!" Blaire Briody, Life and Money Editor, The Fiscal Times "Back to you Steve. It's really a very good piece." Andrew Wiener, Guest Editor, The American Prospect
Associations
American Society of Journalists and Authors Investigative Reporters and Editors Society of Professional Journalists National Writers Union
General
The Two-Track Recovery: Europe Versus the United States
(The Weekly Leaf 11/21/2014)
Life on the List
(The American Prospect 4/12/2011)
Should workplace bullying be outlawed?
(The Weekly Leaf 9/14/2014)
ADA Lawsuits: A Case Study in Lack of Governance
(The Weekly Leaf 8/22/2014)
This Time It's Personal: Will Laws to Protect Employees from Workplace Bullying Stifle Managers?
(Comstock's Magazine 3/1/2015)
Will Gerrymandering Go South or Go Viral?
(The Weekly Leaf 3/29/2015)
Cops and Bloggers
(The Crime Report 8/11/2014)
Sales Pitch: Why More Universities Should Offer Sales Training
(Comstock's Magazine 4/1/2015)
The GOP, "tough on crime" no more?
(Salon/The Crime Report 11/7/2011)
No Safety in Numbers
(Good 9/1/2011)
Can Too Many Renters Bring Down the Neighborhood?
(The Fiscal Times 1/24/2012)
Do Residency Bans Drive Sex Offenders Underground?
(The Crime Report 7/7/2014)
7 Secrets to Scoring Cheap Airline Tickets
(The Fiscal Times 4/20/2012)
Outsourcing the Police
(The Crime Report 3/10/2011)
Justice Delayed
(The Crime Report 4/8/2010)
Banks Accused of Racial Bias on Foreclosed Homes
(The Fiscal Times 5/9/2012)
Picked up by Business Insider, 5/9/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-more-proof-that-banks-are-nicer-to-white-homeowners-2012-5
Office Space: The Incredible Shrinking Office
(The Fiscal Times 4/11/2012)
Picked up by Business Insider, 4/12/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-are-downsizing-their-physical-offices-2012-4, and quoted in The Week, 4/19/12: http://theweek.com/article/index/227010/is-the-office-cubicle-dead
The Five Worst Rental Scams to Watch Out For
(The Fiscal Times 4/2/2012)
Picked up by Business Insider, 4/3/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-5-worst-rental-scams-to-watch-out-for-2012-4
The 10 Biggest Mistakes Renters Make
(The Fiscal Times 3/22/2012)
Picked up by MSN Money, 5/7/12: http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/tips.aspx?cp-documentid=6952129, and Business Insider, 3/22/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-biggest-mistakes-renters-always-make-2012-3
Zillow and Trulia Face Backlash from Realtors
(The Fiscal Times 2/24/2012)
Picked up by MSN Money, 2/28/12: http://money.msn.com/home-loans/the-backlash-against-zillow-and-co-fiscaltimes.aspx, and Business Insider, 2/27/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/zillow-and-trulia-face-backlash-from-real-estate-agents-2012-2
Is It Time to End the Vacation on Second-Home Tax Breaks?
(The Fiscal Times 4/7/2010)
The Big Squeeze on Small Credit Unions
(Comstock's Magazine 6/1/2014)
Cops Gone Wild
(The American Prospect 3/28/2013)
Why America's College Students Don't Graduate
(The Fiscal Times 12/19/2011)
Overwhelmed with Email? What It's Doing to Your Brain
(The Fiscal Times 11/14/2012)
This Is the Worst Tax Mistake You Can Make
(The Fiscal Times 2/27/2013)
10 Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2013
(The Fiscal Times 12/6/2012)
Housing Crisis Could End Suburbia as We Know It
(The Fiscal Times 7/5/2012)
The New Housing Database That Could Invade Your Privacy
(The Fiscal Times 11/28/2012)
The 12 Most Expensive States to Raise Children
(The Fiscal Times 10/27/2012)
Could Home Prices Come Back Even Stronger After Sandy?
(The Fiscal Times 11/8/2012)
Gun Control's Long Game
(The American Prospect 3/4/2013)
Captive Market
(Comstock's Magazine 11/1/2014)
More Americans Walk Away from Their Mortgages
(The Fiscal Times 10/24/2012)
Has Suicide Become a Permanent Feature of U.S. Military Service?
(The Weekly Leaf 11/5/2014)
When Bad Cops Get New Jobs
(The Weekly Leaf 9/1/2014)
Five Clues That Profit Sharing May Work for You
(Comstock's Magazine 8/26/2015)
Startups Meet the Smart Meter
(Comstock's Magazine 12/1/2015)
Why Boomers Are Ditching Retirement to Go to Work
(The Fiscal Times 5/16/2013)
Better Pay for Better Profits
(Comstock's Magazine 7/1/2015)
The Black Box of Sales Hiring
(Comstock's Magazine 4/23/2015)
Hidden Benefits How an Online MBA Prepares Students for Today's Workplace
(Comstock's Magazine (web) 9/18/2014)
What Will Stop the Gunfire in Chicago?
(The Weekly Leaf 10/23/2014)
The Real Story Behind Corporate (Tax) Inversions
(The Weekly Leaf 10/16/2014)
The Promise (and Perils) of Predicting Sex Crimes
(The Crime Report 9/11/2014)
The Three-Digit Number That Can Wreck Your Life
(The Fiscal Times 7/14/2011)
The New Growth Business: Becoming a Landlord
(The Fiscal Times 3/7/2012)
13 Tax Breaks You've Never Heard Of
(The Fiscal Times 2/1/2013)
Do 529 College Savings Plans Work?
(Comstock's Magazine 1/1/2016)
Is On-time Completion the Answer to Rising College Costs?
(The Weekly Leaf 10/10/2014)
Why the U.S. Mortgage Interest Deduction Lives On
(The Weekly Leaf 10/28/2014)
Officers Who Rape: The Police Brutality Chiefs Ignore
(Al Jazeera America 1/19/2016)
A Growing Green Debt?
(Comstock\'s Magazine 2/1/2016)
Analysis: More Guns but Fewer Gun Owners?
(Al Jazeera America 2/19/2016)
Do Trump Rallies Trample on Protesters’ Free Speech?
(The American Prospect 3/22/2016)
Dear Sacramento
(Comstock's Magazine 3/1/2016)
Do 529 College Savings Plans Work?
(Comstock's Magazine 1/1/2016)
Hard Times at For-Profit U
(Comstock's Magazine 4/1/2016)
Attention College Shoppers
(Comstock's Magazine 7/1/2014)
Getting Beyond Prison: A Vermont Case Study
(The American Prospect 5/4/2016)
Working Toward a Greener China
(Comstock's Magazine 3/1/2016)
What's the Real Rate of Sex Crime Recidivism?
(Pacific Standard Magazine 5/27/2016)
The Newest Rape Crisis Hotlines Serve an Unlikely Group — Prisoners
(Mic.com 6/6/2016)
The Macro Problems Caused by Microaggression
(Comstock's Magazine 5/1/2016)
REITs Meet Redevelopment
(Comstock's Magazine 4/1/2016)
REITs Meet Redevelopment
(Comstock's Magazine 4/1/2016)
Will the Mega-Grid Get Built?
(Comstock's Magazine 7/1/2016)
Why the 'Pokémon Go' Ban on Sex Offenders Makes No Sense
(Vice.com 8/12/2016)
Credit unions and banks don't agree on much--except Dodd-Frank
(The Weekly Leaf 9/18/2014)
Is the Rise in Inequality Eroding Trust?
(The Weekly Leaf 12/19/2014)
Crime and the Governors
(The Crime Report 10/27/2010)
Housing Collapse Left Some Older Americans in Ruins
(The Fiscal Times 7/20/2012)
Is America Overworked?
(The Fiscal Times 2/16/2012)
Tweet Revenge: Consumers Wage Cyberwar on Companies
(The Fiscal Times 11/3/2011)
Picked up by Business Insider, 11/4/11: http://www.businessinsider.com/want-to-warn-others-about-a-crappy-company-2011-11
10 Dirty Jobs That Nobody Wants
(The Fiscal Times 8/19/2011)
Picked up by Business Insider, 8/25/11: http://www.businessinsider.com/9-filthy-jobs-that-nobody-wants-2011-8
Happy Holidays! Now Get Back to Work
(The Fiscal Times 7/30/2011)
Layoffs: Four People Who Are Happy They Got Fired
(The Fiscal Times 5/3/2011)
The 5 Airlines That Make the Most in Fees
(The Fiscal Times 6/14/2012)
The Job Trap for Ex-Prisoners: The Box
(The Crime Report 10/20/2010)
Standoff Over Sex Offenders
(The Crime Report 6/21/2010)
The 10 Top Cities People Are Moving To
(The Fiscal Times 7/12/2012)
Study Identifies Another Approach to Cutting Gun Deaths
(The Weekly Leaf 8/27/2014)
Do the Poor Deserve More Scrutiny Than Other Government Beneficiaries?
(The Weekly Leaf 11/7/2014)
10 Tax Laws That Hurt the Economy Most
(The Fiscal Times 3/28/2013)
The 10 Fastest-Growing Cities for Retirees
(The Fiscal Times 6/7/2013)
Welcome to the Neighborhood
(Comstock's Magazine (cover story) 6/1/2013)
Family Misfortunes
(Comstock's Magazine 7/1/2013)
It's Time for Democrats to Ditch Andrew Jackson
(Salon 5/3/2013)
10 Best Jobs for Americans Over 65
(The Fiscal Times 5/16/2013)
Rent the American Dream
(Comstock's Magazine 3/1/2014)
Collateral Damage: Harsh Sex Offender Laws May Put Whole Families at Risk
(Al Jazeera America 8/27/2015)
Are We in a Credit Bubble?
(The Weekly Leaf 10/7/2014)
6 Things You Don't Know About Minimum Wage
(The Fiscal Times 9/19/2013)
Tax Hell: New Laws, New Reasons to Hire an Expert
(The Fiscal Times 1/24/2013)
How Student Loan Debt Could Sink the American Economy
(The Weekly Leaf 10/23/2014)
Real Sex Ed Returns: But Will Democrats Axe Abstinence-Only?
(In These Times 3/7/2009)
Closing the Door on Juvenile Lockups
(The American Prospect 3/29/2011)
Who's Guarding the Banks?
(The Crime Report 8/23/2010)
Unemployment Pay Deters Would-Be Entrepreneurs
(The Fiscal Times 2/21/2012)
Big Investors Snatch Up America's Housing Market
(The Fiscal Times 3/6/2012)
The New American Dream: Rent, Don't Buy
(The Fiscal Times 1/4/2012)
Picked up by MSN Money: http://money.msn.com/home-loans/12-places-where-its-wiser-to-rent, and Business Insider, 1/5/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-american-dream-has-nothing-to-do-with-buying-a-home-2012-1
10 Starter Homes Across the Country
(The Fiscal Times 10/12/2011)
Meet America's New Small Business Owners: Ex-Cons
(The Fiscal Times 3/27/2012)
Picked up by Business Insider, 3/28/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/7-ex-jailbirds-who-made-it-big-in-business-2012-3
The Brain Freeze Survival Guide
(Men's Health.com 11/29/2011)
Why 20 Percent Down Won't Help the Housing Mess
(The Fiscal Times 5/24/2012)
Investors Are Flipping Over Low Home Prices
(The Fiscal Times 6/7/2011)
Prisoner's Dilemma
(The Fiscal Times 3/14/2011)
Tracking Animal Abuse (and Abusers) on the Web
(The Crime Report 1/16/2011)
The Coming Nursing Home Shortage
(The Fiscal Times 1/26/2012)
Also excerpted on the AARP Blog, 1/30/12: http://blog.aarp.org/2012/01/30/strange-math-more-seniors-but-fewer-nursing-homes/
Back in Business (For Now)
(The Albany Metroland 4/15/2010)
Why Americans Love the NFL and Hate Their Politicians
(The Fiscal Times 1/31/2012)
Should Renters Get the Same Rights as Homeowners?
(The Fiscal Times 6/7/2012)
Picked up by Business Insider, 6/11/12: http://www.businessinsider.com/should-homeowners-get-the-same-rights-as-homeowners-2012-6
How Online Dating Became a $2 Billion Industry
(The Fiscal Times 2/14/2014)
Affordable Representation: Could Licensing Paralegals in California Help Drive Down Legal Costs?
(Comstock's Magazine 4/1/2014)
Why You Should Spring for a Really Good Mattress
(The Fiscal Times 4/4/2014)
Small Businesses Make a Great Big Comeback
(The Fiscal Times 2/2/2012)
Bank-Owned Houses: Curb Appeal Goes Out the Window
(The Fiscal Times 6/24/2011)
From Angie's List to Amazon Home--How to Find the Best Home Contractor
(The Fiscal Times 5/15/2015)
Immigrants' Dilemma
(The Albany Metroland 3/15/2010)
Friends with Benefits: Peer-to-Peer Loan Websites Easily Connect Borrowers to Cash--Will They Last?
(Comstock's Magazine 12/1/2014)
The American Nursing Home--Another Infrastructure Problem Being Ignored
(The Weekly Leaf 11/26/2014)
5 Smart Ways to Rebalance Your Portfolio
(The Fiscal Times 10/27/2014)
The Tax Change That Threatens Homeownership
(The Fiscal Times 5/2/2012)
Don't Let Your Business Die With You
(Comstock's Magazine 12/1/2013)
The Best and Worst Airports for Winter Travel
(The Fiscal Times 12/3/2013)
The MBA Goes Online
(Comstock's Magazine 9/1/2014)
Missing Pieces: Is California's Latest Disability Access Law Causing More Lawsuits?
(Comstock's Magazine 8/1/2014)
How to Keep Bad Cops on the Beat
(The American Prospect 7/11/2013)
Juris Prudence: Changes to the legal market are motivating attorneys to bootstr
(Comstock's Magazine 10/1/2014)
Housing Virgins: Meet Today's First-Time Homebuyer
(The Fiscal Times 10/12/2011)
Can states be pro-business while taking care of their most vulnerable?
(The Weekly Leaf 9/10/2014)
Rikers report raises new questions about systemic abuse in juvenile corrections
(The Weekly Leaf 9/26/2014)
Good News Trends the Media Misses--And Why They Matter
(The Weekly Leaf 9/30/2014)
Send in the Crowd
(Comstock's Magazine 11/1/2015)
The Endangered Blue-Collar Worker
(Comstock's Magazine 1/1/2016)
Is an Earthquake on the Way in Campaign Finance?
(The Weekly Leaf 7/26/2015)
One Year on, Ferguson Protesters Don't Plan to Go Away
(The Crime Report 8/6/2015)
The Office Bully May Have Finally Met His Match
(The Fiscal Times 7/18/2013)
When Kids Stand Their Ground
(The American Prospect 10/23/2013)
How to Drown the IRS in a Bathtub
(The Weekly Leaf 4/26/2015)
The Golden Handshake at Justice
(The Crime Report 2/16/2015)
Supreme Court Could Toss Remaining Rules on Money in State Judicial Elections
(The Weekly Leaf 1/18/2015)
Why Millions of Senior Are Moving Back to Cities
(The Fiscal Times 6/5/2013)
Crossing the Line: Can a Pro Bono Immigration Lawyer Be as Good as the Real Thing?
(Comstock's Magazine (web) 1/15/2015)
Resume
(3/6/2009)
Underwater Homes Remain a Dark Spot in the Recovery
(The Fiscal Times 2/12/2013)
9 New Tax Rules That Matter Now More Than Ever
(The Fiscal Times 2/28/2013)
8 Smart Ways To Lower Your Taxes in Retirement
(The Fiscal Times 3/13/2013)
What's Missing From the Teacher Debate
(The Weekly Leaf 1/30/2015)
Open Enrollment and Obamacare: What You Need to Know
(The Fiscal Times 10/8/2012)
Common Core: US education reform or red herring?
(The Weekly Leaf 9/23/2014)
7 Ways to Protect Your Retirement after a Layoff
(The Fiscal Times 10/28/2013)
Dying with Debt: The Hidden Financial Crisis
(The Fiscal Times 6/12/2013)
Also picked up by Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cost-of-dying-in-debt-2013-6
As Police Budgets Are Cut, Citizens Step In
(The Fiscal Times 8/7/2012)
The New Boomtowns: Suburbs Get City Makeovers
(The Fiscal Times 7/17/2012)
Picked up by The Huffington Post, 7/18/12: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/americas-suburbs-get-make_n_1682279.html; and Real Clear Markets, 7/18/12: http://www.realclearmarkets.com/2012/07/18/the_new_boomtowns_suburbs_get_city_makeovers_129255.html
The Housing Roadblock That Could Kill the Recovery
(The Fiscal Times 2/4/2013)
Why More Affluent Americans Pay No Taxes
(The Fiscal Times 4/11/2013)
7 New Tools That Can Stop a Bomb in a Backpack
(The Fiscal Times 4/23/2013)
Attention Boomers: The Economy Needs You to Work Past 70
(The Fiscal Times 5/7/2013)
Students Are Fleeing Liberal Arts--How It Could Hurt U.S.
(The Fiscal Times 1/9/2013)
Legal English as a Second Language: Why Can't Lawyers Communicate Like Other Humans?
(Comstock's Magazine 10/1/2015)
Flipping Property Is Harder to Pull Off Than Ever
(Comstock's Magazine 9/1/2015)
You Can't Live Here
(The Crime Report 4/16/2015)
7 Pros and Cons to Refinancing Your Mortgage
(The Fiscal Times 10/11/2012)
Wanted: Cops Who Know When Not To Use Force
(The Weekly Leaf 12/5/2014)
How can the NRA block this? The gun reform everyone should agree on
(Salon 12/8/2013)
It Runs in the Family
(Comstock's Magazine 5/1/2014)
Colleges Pay Students to Graduate Faster
(The Fiscal Times 7/23/2012)
Also picked up by Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-will-pay-you-to-graduate-sooner-2012-7
Legal Limitations: As Children Pour Across the Border, New State Money for Their Cases
(Comstock's Magazine 1/1/2015)
11 Ways to Keep Scammers From Stealing Your Holiday
(The Fiscal Times 11/30/2014)
2016 Nears, and Voter Disenfranchisement Rolls On
(The Weekly Leaf 1/8/2015)
As Criminal Justice Reform Edges Forward, Will Public-Safety Unions Get Left Behind?
(The Weekly Leaf 1/3/2015)
Violent Video Games: Aggression, Profits and the First Amendment
(The Weekly Leaf 12/14/2014)
Violent Video Games: Aggression, Profits and the First Amendment
(The Weekly Leaf 12/14/2014)
The Real Story on Abstinence Only
(In These Times 4/30/2008)
21 Good News Trends for America
(The Fiscal Times 9/14/2012)
College Dorms: From Animal House to Luxury Living
(The Fiscal Times 8/29/2012)
Be Careful How You Classify
(Comstock's Magazine 7/1/2015)
Always on Time: Billable hours are under scrutiny, but they're here to stay
(Comstock's Magazine (web) 10/2/2014)
7 Ways to Protect Your Retirement after a Layoff
(The Fiscal Times 10/28/2013)
Why Are Police Shootings of Innocents on the Rise?
(The American Prospect 10/31/2013)
Waterborne Disorder
(Comstock's Magazine 11/13/2013)
Religious liberty and its discontents
(The Weekly Leaf 5/25/2015)
The Great Bank Shakeout
(Comstock's Magazine 6/1/2015)
The Four Commandments of the Good-Jobs Strategy
(Comstock's Magazine 7/22/2015)
The Incredible Lightness of Shrinking
(Comstock's Magazine 8/1/2015)
Small Home, Big Benefits
(Comstock's Magazine 8/13/2015)
The Family Fund: Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Twice as Likely to Launch New Businesses, and Their Success Often Hinges on Family
(Comstock's Magazine 10/1/2016)