You are living in interesting times THE FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL PROGRESS 2008/2009 ANNUAL REPORT Mission Mother Jones produces revelatory journalism that, in its Statement power and reach, seeks to inform and inspire a more just and democratic world. The nonprofit Foundation for National Progress publishes Mother Jones magazine and MotherJones.com, directs the Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program, and provides fiscal and administrative support for innovative media projects such as The Media Consortium, PopUp Magazine, Longshot Magazine, and Wiretap. The Foundation for National Progress 222 Sutter Street, Suite 600 San Francisco, CA 94108 PHONE (415) 321-1700 EMAIL [email protected] FAX (415) 321-1701 WEB motherjones.com Dear friends, either been reduced to a shadow commenting on the 24/7 news A Note of their former selves, or have cycle online at MotherJones.com, On behalf of everyone at Mother disappeared altogether. and going deep into the context From the Jones, I’m delighted to share our behind breaking news with Mother 2008-2009 annual report with But there’s much more to this Publisher Jones magazine. Even more, we’re you. It’s no coincidence that we’re story than gloomy prognostications engaging with our community sending you this two-year annual about the demise of traditional of readers through social media, report in digital form. That’s a media. Because Mother Jones inviting them into a conversation pretty accurate reflection of larger is a nonprofit organization, with our reporters and editors changes at MoJo—changes that we’ve weathered the general about what matters. put us on a path toward greater economic tumult better than our impact and a sustainable future. counterparts who are dependent Why do we do this? Because in the For a 35-year-old organization to on advertising for financial survival. end we believe—as do you—that be able to say this—while we’re This is the secret behind MoJo’s independent journalism that tells all still dealing with the worst strength: You—our readers and the truth about the world we live economic downturn since the donors—have given us the cushion in can make a difference. Because Great Depression—is no mean to ride out difficult times. (as we note later on in this report) feat. But it’s true. Mother Jones was founded some More importantly, with your 35 years ago to contribute to the The conventional wisdom at support we’ve been able to build great historic arc toward justice so many “future of journalism” Mother Jones into a bonafide and social change. conferences is that so-called home for original investigative “legacy” media shops—outfits journalism—with an award- Your support has made this that cut their reporting teeth in winning, high-impact team of possible, and for that, on behalf print, or on the radio or TV, and reporters and editors covering of Mother Jones’ entire board and that hewed to the traditional the stories and issues that really staff, you have our deepest thanks conventions of what was matter. Plus, we’ve broken through and appreciation. considered good journalism— the conventional wisdom: Mother Kind regards, are dead in the water and won’t Jones is helping to create the future make the transition to a digital of journalism using all the new world. They’re expensive to run, media tools at our disposal—the the thinking goes: stuck in old- web, social media, you name it— school thinking, and, well, just while also continuing to produce Steven Katz, Publisher plain too old. And it’s true, some a top-quality print magazine year of the best-known journalism in and year out. We’re doing organizations in the country have two things at once: covering and 8 How we make a difference: 2008-2009 Reporting Foundation for National Contents Fill the gap. Highlights Progress 2 Mission statement 11 How we make a difference: 15 Special reports 21 2008-2009 contributors 3 A note from the publisher Get there first. and supporters 17 Features 5 What Mother Jones does 12 How we make a difference: 26 The Mary Harris Jones 18 Photo essays Use media effectively. Legacy Society 6 Six principles for the future 19 Online/Washington, DC, 14 How we make a difference: 27 Board of directors bureau coverage Don’t let go. 28 Staff 30 Statement of activities for the year ending December 31, 2009 34 How you can help Mother Jones magazine and website offer our audience Mother Jones as a center for What We Do and MotherJones.com the depth and context of longform innovation and incubation reporting, combined with the Awarded the prestigious National Mother Jones plays an increasingly breaking-news delivery people Magazine Award for General important role in fostering a crave in this digital age. Excellence in 2008 and 2010, healthy future for journalism. As Mother Jones magazine is published The Ben Bagdikian an incubator for new approaches, by the nonprofit Foundation for Fellowship Program including iterative reporting by National Progress. With a paid our staff journalists, Mother Jones Mother Jones is home to one of circulation of more than 215,000, fosters collaboration across the largest and most ambitious Mother Jones continues to be one organizational boundaries and internship and fellowship programs of the nation’s top thought-leader media platforms. As part of in the independent media world. publications. In 1993, Mother Jones this commitment, we support Over the past 30 years, more launched the first-ever general- new journalism initiatives and than 700 interns and fellows have interest magazine website and projects such as San Francisco’s benefited from intensive real- began developing the journalistic PopUp Magazine, a live magazine world training in the essentials possibilities of this new global experience, and collaborative of investigative journalism. In medium. Today, MotherJones publishing projects such as 2008, Mother Jones named its .com reaches more than 1 million Longshot Magazine, which internship program in honor of the readers each month, and the produces, designs, and publishes great investigative reporter and magazine has a large and loyal a full-size print magazine in journalism educator Ben Bagdikian. community of followers on social 48 hours. Mother Jones also Bagdikian interns and fellows work media mainstays Facebook and continues to support The Media side by side with MoJo’s editors and Twitter. Together, the magazine Consortium, a partnership of writers, fact-checking, researching, some 45 independent, progressive and writing original reported stories journalism organizations that have for print and online. come together to strengthen their collective voice. It’s hard to imagine a world the environment in context. And [1] Build on 35 years of Six Principles as volatile and—to put a we aim to equip readers with tools print journalism and create for the positive spin on it—rich with to respond as informed citizens. a 21st century magazine. opportunities for change as the It’s no coincidence that Mother Our roots are in print journalism, Future one Mother Jones operates in Jones has emerged as an exemplary and even today—with all the today: global political change, model of how nonprofit journalism attention being given to new intensely angry political rhetoric, can work, and has worked, since digital products—we believe that deep economic uncertainty, we began publishing in 1976. The a print magazine can do things and the transformation of the New York Times called Mother that no digital product can yet media landscape. As we navigate Jones a “real-life laboratory” for deliver. It is superbly designed these difficult but exciting times, the future of journalism, and the to serve both the needs of Mother Jones aspires to be known San Francisco Chronicle called us a longform narrative journalism as the leading source for high- “role model” for the industry. It’s and high-quality photojournalism. quality investigative journalism also why Mother Jones has been It allows individual stories to that’s independent, intelligent, awarded the National Magazine be placed in a larger context passionate, and creative. Built Award for General Excellence— in vibrant, living color. on innovation, flexibility, and the Oscars of the magazine transparency, Mother Jones enables [2] The future growth trade—twice in the past three readers to discover new truths in of Mother Jones is digital. years. And it’s why more than the world through our reporting. 215,000 people subscribe to the At the same time, the future We help put the latest in politics, print magazine, and another million of Mother Jones is increasingly human rights, financial affairs, and visit MotherJones.com each month. a digital (and multimedia) one. Digital technology offers a cost- To reach these goals, and to effective method of distributing expand our audience, we have set and disseminating our reporting out six core principles that will help to a large audience. And with us make sense of the way forward. two publishing platforms—digital and print—we can build on the strengths of each and give our community of readers an integrated journalism experience. [3] Impact is at the center [4] Community is an [5] Do a few very important [6] Deepen our role as of our work. essential element of things very well. a center for journalistic Mother Jones’ future. innovation and incubation. Our job doesn’t end when a story Mother Jones’ identity is rooted is published. We work not only to As one of the originators of the in investigative journalism that We see Mother Jones functioning produce great journalism, but also nonprofit journalism model, exposes and explains the behavior as an incubator for new approaches to do our part in the great historic we know how important our of the power wielders of our time, to journalism, such as iterative trend toward justice and social community’s support is to Mother from politics to the corporate reporting by our staff writers, change.