Ga.Pi. News Ga.Pi. News Susan Goldberg
JPMorgan Chase Voice We hired longtime Free Press col- ventures. Why are you exploring June 26, 2015 umnist Susan Ager, who truly un- cities, both in America and glob- derstands the community, to write ally? This month, we continue our ongo- the text. And we asked Wayne “In 1950, less than a third of peo- ing series in which we sit down with Lawrence, known for his evocative ple around the world lived in cities; influential leaders on key issues. portraiture in urban communities, to today, about half do; and by 2050, Now, we talk with the first female take the photos. The result is a sto- two-thirds of humankind is expect- editor of National Geographic ry that, no matter how much you’ve ed to reside in urban areas. Doc- Magazine, Susan Goldberg, to talk read about Detroit, is a deeper and umenting this fast-moving trend, about their unique style of journal- richer exploration of the city and its exploring the challenges it pres- ism, their focus on Detroit and on people than anyone else has done. ents for cultures, the environment, cities around the globe, and the The gist of it is captured by the ti- health, education and sustainable shifting media landscape. This is tle, ‘Taking Back Detroit’. I also de- food production, among other ar- what she had to say: cided to write about Detroit in my eas-is right in National Geograph- Editor’s Note, because this story ic’s wheelhouse. We’re just adding The story on Detroit in the May means so much to me personally. locations! In 2015, for example, issue is a per- in addition to our sonal one for story on Detroit, you. You were we’re publishing a reporter and major magazine editor at the De- stories on Lagos, troit Free Press Nigeria, revealing and were raised the pressures and in nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan. promise of a city Your parents that’s the financial grew up in De- heartbeat of Afri- troit; your grand- ca; Miami, where parents immi- we look at the grated to Detroit economic impact from Eastern Eu- of rising seas on rope in the 1920s. America’s most You’ve obviously climate-endan- seen the city go gered city; and through many New York, whose different phases. building boom is Talk about why changing the city’s you focused on the people of I went back to the neighborhoods skyline and accessibility more dra- Detroit for this issue. my parents grew up in, to see for matically now than at any other “In the past few years, I’ve read a myself what had changed. In some time in at least a generation. Plus, great deal of coverage about De- ways, it was a tough visit. There’s a we’ve reported urban stories ex- troit that I’ve found simplistic, either great deal of change and loss. But tensively online, including the re- too optimistic or too pessimistic. It in the end, I left optimistic. Why? lacked an understanding of the his- Because of the people I met in cent outbreak of Ebola, which was torical forces that brought the city those neighborhoods who believe exacerbated by being centered in to the brink, or it failed to reflect the in the future of Detroit. Their spirit three West African cities. No matter spirit of the people who live there. and determination are infectious. I what the platform, we’ll cover those Once I got to National Geograph- hope I was able to capture that”. stories our groundbreaking photog- ic, I was confident our brand of raphy and videography, explanato- storytelling could produce a more When people think of Nation- ry mapping and illustrations and accurate, more narrative explora- al Geographic, most probably deep reporting to help our readers tion of what has happened to one associate it with stories about understand the implications of ur-
© Concept & design: GianAngelo Pistoia • Photos: Mark Thiessen/ National Geographic - Gaurav Mittal Sven Zacek A. Rodriguez - GianAngelo Pistoia/A.P. - of America’s most important cities. science, animals or outdoor ad- banization now and into the future”.
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How will the shifting way your the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer and readers consume content – now the first female editor in chief online, in print, or via video – of National Geographic. What do change the way the magazine you think about that? approaches storytelling? “I’m very proud to be the editor in “We have so many more tools chief of National Geographic and now, both for how we tell stories News; it truly is an honor. And giv- and for how we can deliver those en the changes in our industry over stories to our readers. In short, we the span of my career – from the can create content that will appeal typewriter and glue pot to the age to readers from cradle to cane, of instant, digital information – it is a and give them information in mo- thrilling time to provide exceptional ments, not just months. I’m excited content to traditional and new audi- that 60 million readers around the ences. But my belief is that our so- world come to our magazine each ciety will be a better and more eq- month, and, at the same time, that uitable place when having a female we’re able to reach vast numbers of editor is not such a notable event. new consumers of our content on I’m concerned because 64 percent other platforms. In addition to our of graduates from journalism and website, iPad magazine and digi- communication schools are women tal photographic features such as and just 23 percent of newsroom Proof and YourShot, we’ve just cre- leaders are women. There’s some- ated a new app, NatGeo View. And thing wrong with our workplaces or I’ll bet most people have no idea expectations when we go from a that we have an enormous footprint significant majority of young women on social media, with an astonish- entering the profession and a signifi- ing 35 million friends on Facebook cant minority of middle-aged women alone, over 8.6 million followers on leading it a generation later. Diverse Twitter, and 15 million followers on newsrooms that reflect their com- Instagram. Recently, we’ve even munities produce more accurate, teamed up with Snapchat to pres- more attuned journalism. The lack of ent our storytelling in new ways. progress to achieve that is an issue We’re increasingly able to connect our industry needs to address now”. our stories across platforms. For example, when an ancient, lost city is discovered deep in the jungle of As you approach your one-year Honduras, we can break that sto- anniversary as editor in chief of ry online, in real time. We did just National Geographic, what is the that in March, and 800,000 people highlight of your first year at the read it that day. In a few months helm? from now, in National Geographic “Most broadly: Helping our staff em- magazine, we’ll have a deeper sto- brace the idea that our work across ry on how that city and other an- new storytelling platforms is as im- cient sites across Central America portant as our work on our tradition- are being uncovered and explored al storytelling platform. That’s a big through mapping technology. The cultural change and most people magazine story will have the pho- are approaching it with gusto. More tography, illustrations and explana- specifically: Just as we love all our tory writing that are our hallmarks. children, I love all our stories. That So we’re giving people the best of said, I’m really proud of our most both worlds: Breaking news when timely and edgy coverage, such as events our readers care about hap- March’s “The War on Science” cov- pen, followed by rich, contextual er, which became our best selling is- coverage in the magazine about sue in a year and is a great example what it all means. Finally, no mat- of the relevancy and urgency I’d like ter what the platform, our journal- to bring to all our stories, in every ism needs to live up to our value medium. And I’m excited about our statement: We believe in the power November 2015 special issue on of science, exploration and story- climate change, pegged to the UN’s telling to change the world”. climate talks in Paris. All about cop- ing and solutions, the issue is a big You have been a trailblazer departure from the throw-up-your- throughout your career in jour- hands stories you tend to read about nalism: You were the first female climate. I hope people will view it as editor of the San Jose Mercury a public service”. News, the first female editor of Peter Scher
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Susan Goldberg Editorial Director, National Geographic Partners and Editor in Chief, National Geographic Magazine
Susan Goldberg is Editorial Di- received the Exceptional Woman a reporter at the Seattle Post-In- rector of National Geographic in Publishing Award from Excep- telligencer. A Michigan native, Partners and Editor In Chief of tional Women in Publishing. Be- Goldberg has a bachelor’s de- National Geographic Magazine. fore her employment at National gree in journalism from Michi- As Editorial Director, she is in Geographic, Goldberg was ex- gan State University, where she charge of all publishing ventures, ecutive editor for federal, state now funds the Susan Goldberg including digital journalism, mag- and local government coverage Scholarship at the university’s azines, books, maps, children for Bloomberg News in Wash- College of Communication Arts and family, and travel and ad- ington. She started at Bloomberg and Sciences’ School of Jour- venture. She was named Edito- in 2010. In 2013, she was voted nalism. She is active in profes- rial Director in October 2015 and one of Washington’s 11 most in- sional journalism organizations, Editor in Chief of the magazine fluential women in the media by and in 2012-13 was president of in April 2014. She is the 10thed- Washingtonian magazine. From the American Society of News itor of the magazine since it was 2007 to 2010, she was editor of Editors. She is on the boards first published in October 1888. The Plain Dealer, the daily news- of The Reporters Committee for Under her leadership in 2017, paper of Cleveland and the larg- Freedom of the Press and the National Geographic was a fi- est newspaper in Ohio. Prior to College of Communication Arts nalist for a Pulitzer Prize for Ex- that, from 2003-2007, she was and Sciences at MSU and previ- planatory Reporting for its issue the executive editor of the San ously was co-chair of the Medill about gender and the magazine Jose Mercury News, and served School of Journalism’s Board of received numerous other awards as the paper’s managing editor Visitors at Northwestern Univer- for photography, storytelling and from 1999-2003. From 1989 to sity. She also is on the board of graphics. In 2016, National Geo- 1999, Goldberg worked at USA the National Museum for Women graphic magazine won a Na- Today, including stints as a dep- in the Arts in Washington and is tional Magazine Award for best uty managing editor of the News, a member of the International website; in 2015, it won two Na- Life and Enterprise sections. Pre- Women’s Forum. Goldberg lives tional Magazine Awards and the viously, she worked as a report- in Washington, DC with her hus- George Polk Award for Magazine er and editor at the Detroit Free band, Geoffrey Etnire, a real es- Reporting. In March 2015, she Press. She began her career as tate lawyer.
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