NZ National Geographic Needs Your Help

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If I had more disposable money I would ... and I am bloody gonna in the new year when I will actually have a little more of the $ .. fuck it, I'm doing it now!


I recommend you read the full NZGeo has been an icon of environmental journalism for 35 years, but times are changing, and we need your help to survive article by James Frankham (publisher), here's what grabbed me and why I have just become a subscriber to a physical magazine (these are paragraphs copy-n-pasted, not meant to be read in this order, that's what the original article is for):

Over the next few weeks I will be taking the unusual step of opening our finances and forward plans so that readers can be involved in the future shape of New Zealand Geographic and the role our journalism plays in the public conversation. I hope this paints a picture of where we’re at, where we’re going, and how you can help.

Before I start, however—thank you. Thank you for reading NZGeo, and for caring enough to read this email.

[...]

In 2008 I became editor. And then, in 2011, the owner. (No link with National Geographic, which is owned by Disney. We’re a Kiwi family with two kids and a wandering golden retriever trying to fix up an old house in Birkenhead.) It took another eight years to make ends meet, but it’s always felt worthwhile—at their best, stories like these can usher in new ways of seeing the world, and behaving.

[..] 

Most surprising, however, is that digital media is now even harder. Our website receives about a million visitors a year, and the Ministry of Education subscribes on behalf of every student in every school. But traffic coming from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram has plummeted, and changes to Google’s algorithm stymie readers coming from search. For the first time, I’m looking at the future with genuine concern. 

[..] 

Here’s something that might surprise you. With 387,000 readers (Nielsen-audited readership) New Zealand Geographic is the fourth-most-read magazine on the newsstand. Unlike other magazines that skew old, white and urban, our readership aligns with national averages for ethnicity, location, gender and age—except we have more teenagers; and more Māori and Pasifika read NZGeo than any other magazine, by miles.

[..] 

Our readers and subscribers are stakeholders in our future, but we need to start treating you like that. That includes giving you an insight into our income, costs and financial position—something media companies never do—which I will reveal in more detail next week.

[..]

In the meantime, we’re appealing to readers past and present. The very best way that you can support the future sustainability of our work is by joining the New Zealand Geographic community and subscribing in print, digital or both. You can buy a gift subscription for a friend or loved one for Christmas. Or you can pass on the link nzgeo.com/trial, which allows friends to try a digital subscription for two months for just $1.

Thank you for caring about New Zealand Geographic and the work we do. If you have any questions, drop me a line on james@nzgeographic.co.nz

Some things are worth saving, this is one of them and we have a chance, become a customer.

New Zealand

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