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March 16, 2023

Podcast 38: Donations as a reader revenue strategy, with Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein

Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein is the latest guest on the Future of Media Explained podcast.

By Press Gazette

American investigative magazine Mother Jones began life in 1976 with the idea of producing a “new brand of socially conscious journalism”.

As an independent non-profit outlet, Mother Jones relies upon readers for three-quarters of its revenue – both in the form of subscriptions but especially donations.

About 50,000 people support Mother Jones journalism each year with donations, while its magazine has about 180,000 subscribers.

In the latest episode of the Future of Media Explained podcast, Press Gazette UK editor Charlotte Tobitt speaks to Mother Jones chief executive Monika Bauerlein about how to successfully encourage readers to open their wallets, why being audience-funded is so important for an investigative journalism outlet, the importance of transparency on the numbers, and combatting news fatigue.

[Read more: Mother Jones CEO on how reader donations became big business for investigative title]

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