At a time when media outlets are downsizing newsrooms and the audience for traditional news is in decline, Mongabay continues to grow thanks to its impact-driven, nonprofit model. Mongabay’s director of philanthropy, Dave Martin, joins the podcast this week to explain the philosophy behind Mongabay’s fundraising efforts, why the nonprofit model is essential for impact-driven reporting, and how the organization ensures editorial independence. Rather than relying on ad revenue, Mongabay can prioritize topics that are unique and not often covered, but which can impact policymakers, businesses, NGOs and conservationists, producing reporting that can have a significant influence on the body politic. “ Those who fund us and read us, they’re really expecting real-world impact and high-quality journalism. So, people are coming back to Mongabay because they’re interested in what we’re reporting on. There’s a really high level of quality that is informing their decisions,” he says. In the past 18th months, Martin says he’s noticed a palpable shift in the appreciation he receives from people reaching out to him about Mongabay: “ I’m really excited about the momentum I sense.” He also stresses that an editorial firewall exists whereby editorial judgments are made independently, and funding sources have no influence on these decisions. A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Martin also shares his thoughts on the devastation from this year’s unprecedented wildfires. “ I couldn’t have imagined the devastation that [fire] wrought. And it’s [making] me reimagine what’s possible from a wildfire, and kind of just restructure my understanding of safety from a…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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