Rhett Ayers Butler
Over the next couple of months, I plan to share weekly posts like this, offering context and insights on my journey in a format different from my usual style. My goal is to explore whether this approach resonates with new audiences and communities. I never set out to become a journalist. When I started Mongabay, […]
Cat stories attracted the most readers on Mongabay web sites. For anyone familiar with the internet over the past three decades, the popularity of cat-related content will come as little surprise. Across Mongabay’s six-language platforms and four regional bureaus, articles about wild cats topped the charts for median readership in 2024. This includes the iconic […]
In response to my post yesterday about the geographic distribution of our readership and country-level coverage in 2024, several people reached out or commented about Mongabay’s plans to expand its presence in specific countries. When determining where to establish a presence, the calculus for Mongabay as a nonprofit environmental news outlet, extends well beyond audience […]
I founded Mongabay 25 years ago to address what I perceived as a gap in media coverage of tropical rainforests. Over the years, Mongabay has grown significantly, especially after transitioning to a non-profit in 2012. Since then we expanded from two full-time staff in the U.S. to more than 120 team members across over 30 […]
Here are Mongabay News’s five most-read stories of 2024. All focus on Asia, with four concerning wildlife, and reptiles claiming the top two spots. A caveat: this ranking reflects only website traffic through December 22, 2024. It does not include social media viewership. “Four of a kind: King cobra is a quad of species, not […]
The Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), one of the most authoritative and respected voices in journalism, recently profiled Mongabay. The piece, written by Lauren Watson, provides an in-depth look at how our nonprofit newsroom navigates the challenges of reporting on conservation and environmental issues globally, often in high-risk areas. Key points from the article include:🌍 International […]
As we await results from today’s election, one of the most important in recent U.S. history, the implications for the planet and its future feel more pressing than ever. No matter who prevails, our work at Mongabay remains profoundly significant. The outcome will undoubtedly influence policy shifts impacting ecosystems, climate action, and biodiversity, potentially altering […]
Here’s an example of how we fund nature journalism. Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet that relies on grants and donations, rather than advertising or a paywall, to bring our audience news and inspiration from nature’s frontline. I’m often asked how this works. The short answer is that we’re constantly pitching donors to secure support […]
I’m often asked about the animal that appears on my business card. First, it’s a real animal. It’s not a muppet. It’s a bird: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant. The scale-crested pygmy tyrant is a species of tyrant flycatcher that belongs to the passerine order of birds, a group known as ‘perching birds,’ which includes many […]
Last week, we launched a new Mongabay experience. The design changes reflect how Mongabay has evolved in the seven years since our last redesign: Chiefly, our expanding diversity of story formats, from articles to videos to podcasts. The new design provides audiences with Mongabay stories in the way they prefer to receive and engage with […]
In the final post of my series marking Mongabay’s 25th anniversary, here’s a glimpse at what lies ahead for us in the near and medium term. Looking towards 2030, our imperatives include: 🌊 Expanding coverage: We aim to explore more topics and regions, focusing on underreported stories with significant impact potential, including oceans, Africa, and […]
We live in a world grappling with complex environmental challenges. As a journalist, I’ve always believed in the power of words and stories to make a difference. Journalism is not just about reporting facts; it’s about shining a light on issues that are often hidden in the shadows. In the context of environmental crises, journalism […]
Reflecting on the past 25 years at Mongabay, it is evident that impactful journalism can drive meaningful change. Our work has contributed to significant outcomes, from exposing trafficking of pygmy sloths in Panama to informing a state decision to convert 101,000 hectares from a logging concession to a reserve in Borneo. My go-to example of […]
At Mongabay, we frequently document the harm extractive industries inflict on the environment, wildlife, and communities globally. However, journalism itself can sometimes be extractive. This issue arises when journalists enter a community to report a story, gather context, and then leave. Despite the journalist’s best intentions, if the story isn’t accessible to the community in […]
On June 8, 1999, Mongabay was officially launched. So today is officially Mongabay’s 25th birthday. Over the past several days, many people have been asked about the history of Mongabay. This an extended version: https://mongabay.cc/pazNOU Here’s a brief version: I founded Mongabay out of my love for tropical forests. The site’s initial model was based […]
Next week marks 25 years since I founded Mongabay out of my passion for nature. I never imagined that a personal effort to raise awareness about tropical forests would evolve into a global network of dedicated journalists reporting from nature’s frontlines. It’s been incredible to see the contributions of these talented individuals making a real-world […]
The other day, I was asked about the real-world impact of investigative reporting in the context of ocean issues. One of my favorite examples is a series of stories we published over a three-year period about Dalian Ocean Fishing, one of China’s largest tuna companies. This reporting underscores the serendipity involved in chasing a story […]
High-quality data journalism serves as a powerful tool in elucidating complex environmental issues, transforming raw data into compelling narratives that illuminate the hidden stories behind the numbers. By employing rigorous data collection and analysis, journalists can uncover trends and patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, providing a solid foundation for investigative reporting. But how do […]
People often inquire about Mongabay’s readership, so here’s an overview of data from last year. The attached document offers a summary of readership and story production data for Mongabay’s primary news sections in 2023, which include Mongabay-Brasil (Portuguese), Mongabay-French, Mongabay-India (English and Hindi), Mongabay-Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia), Mongabay-Latam (Spanish), and Mongabay-News. Please note that this analysis […]
Driven by a desire to share my book on tropical rainforests with the public for free, I established Mongabay in 1999. 25 years on, Mongabay has evolved from a website hosting my book to a comprehensive platform covering a wide range of environmental topics far beyond tropical forests. Mongabay has since evolved from a website […]
As noted before, shifting Mongabay from a for-profit to a nonprofit granted us the privilege to prioritize impact over chasing clicks. This move freed us to give away our stories and view other media outlets as potential partners rather than competitors. If our articles are republished, that helps us fulfill our mission by helping inform […]
An interview with Alejandro Muñoz for Sinc (Ciencia Contada en Español): “No vamos detrás del clic, nuestro periodismo busca mejoras reales en el medioambiente”. A few extracts translated from from the interview: Do you think interest in environmental journalism has increased? Yes. I think the effects of environmental degradation are more evident than ever. This […]
In October 2023 in an event at Holbrook Palmer Park in Atherton, CA, I spoke about conservation journalism in the world’s most biodiverse places. I talked about my journey of growing Mongabay from a personal passion project into a multinational nonprofit media organization that covers critical issues affecting wildlife, wild places, and communities globally. I […]
“How are you responding to challenging trends in the news industry?” To provide background context in answering this frequently asked question, I usually direct people to the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report and materials from the Pew Research Center. Here are a few key data points from these resources I find particularly relevant: ☑ Decline in […]
Over the past few months, via LinkedIn I’ve shared a series of posts on Mongabay’s 2030 roadmap. Here’s a recap of some of the key points: What is Mongabay? Mongabay is a nonprofit, independent media organization that focuses on issues at the intersection of people and nature. We collaborate with journalists worldwide to highlight stories […]