True stories, powerfully told, make the world a better place.

I still remember how scared I was the first time I hit record during an interview about gay rights.

I was in high school, a baby journalist trying to put together a story about the raging debate over gay inclusion in the Boy Scouts of America. And I was terrified to touch what felt like a fully-electrified third rail.

What shocked me, though, was that the person I interviewed voiced full-throated support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Scouting—an opinion I secretly held myself, but was not yet ready to verbalize.

That first story put me on a path to becoming a journalist, and later author, who sought out taboo topics and difficult conversations. On the Boy Scouts story and many others, I learned to amplify marginalized voices and call out discrimination. And I did it all with a level of transparency, vulnerability and narrative craft that infused my stories with a unique power.

I carry those lessons with me today, and still use my journalism to those ends: Empowering overlooked communities and illuminating solutions to our collective problems—all while spinning a good yarn.

Ready to get on board?

💞 ‘He’s a joy to work with’

“Mike is a versatile, talented freelance journalist who has never shied away from an assignment. Mike’s copy is clean and accurate; I seldom have to spend much time editing anything he turns in. Mike also goes above and beyond when it comes to deadlines. He doesn’t just meet them, he will turn in an assignment two weeks early and then ask for another. Plus he’s a joy to work with.” — Jon Reed, senior editor at CNET

📖 ‘Extraordinarily detailed storytelling’

“Mike De Socio pulls you in with his remarkable ability to weave personal anecdote with historical data, rich and extraordinarily detailed storytelling.” — Reader feedback

✍️ You can hire me to…

  • Write nuanced, narrative stories about LGBTQ+ politics, culture and history

  • Tackle rigorously-reported articles about climate tech and solutions, or reader-friendly guides to sustainable living

  • Craft enthralling features and profiles of leaders, change-makers and contrarian characters

🗞️ I work with…

  • Mainstream newspapers and magazines

  • Niche-specific B2B publications

  • Association and trade magazines

🕵 Let’s talk about my approach

I’ll say it: Objectivity in journalism is an impossible standard, and it allows the White, male, straight perspective to pass as “neutral.” It also encourages lazy “both sides” journalism. What I do instead: I acknowledge the subjectivity that all journalists have, but nonetheless work to achieve fairness in my reporting. And I am transparent with the reader when I have a bias that might impact my work. (For more reading on the myth of journalistic objectivity, I highly recommend “The View from Somewhere.”)

The journalistic default is to highlight problems in the world. And that is, for sure, an essential service. But then what? To move forward as a society, we need solutions, too. I’ve trained with the Solutions Journalism Network and embrace their model of “rigorous reporting about how people are trying to solve problems and what we can learn from their successes and failures.”

Whether I’m writing an 800-word piece of service journalism, or a deeply reported narrative feature, I aim for a diverse mix of voices. I’m especially intersted in amplifying those who’ve historically been excluded from the conversation, or whose expertise has not always been recognized.

🔎 Check out some of my best work 👀

Trans people are finding safe haven in an unexpected place: upstate New York

The Guardian / Rochester, Albany and other cities offer refuge from anti-trans laws in other states and ballooning costs in big cities.

Boy Scouts pitch a more welcoming tent at their National Jamboree

The Washington Post / Amid the hundreds of tents erected for the Boy Scouts of America’s National Jamboree, one dedicated to LGBTQ+ scouts stands out.

Inside the history of Boston’s bygone gay bathhouses

Xtra Magazine / From sexual health support to discreet gathering place, bathhouses were once a small but important part of the city’s gay community.

The Café That’s Upending Capitalism

YES! Magazine / Cafe Euphoria isn’t just another co-op. Its trans and gender-nonconforming owners are pursuing a vision of radical equality.

US cities call themselves ‘climate havens’. But can they actually protect residents?

BBC / Climate change is leading to more intense heatwaves and storms in many parts of the United States, so can some cities provide a refuge from extreme weather?

There Is Enough Food, Just Not Enough Food Access

YES! Magazine / Community fridge networks across the country are an important start—and symbol—in the work to make sure everyone has enough to eat.

👋 Ready to tell a story together? ✨