You are living in interesting times
T h e F o u n daT i o n For n aT i o n a l Prog r e ss
2008/2009 AnnuAl RepoRt
Mission Statement
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
Mother Jones produces revelatory journalism that, in its 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, and Longshot.
A note From the publisher & Ceo
Dear friends,
On behalf of everyone at Mother Jones, we’re delighted to share our 2008-2009 annual report with you. It’s no coincidence that we’re sending you this two-year annual report in digital form. That’s a pretty accurate reflection of larger changes at MoJo—changes that put us on a path toward greater impact and a sustainable future. For a 35-year-old organization to be able to say this—while we’re all still dealing with the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression—is no mean feat. But it’s true.
The conventional wisdom at so many “future of journalism” conferences is that so-called “legacy” media shops—outfits that cut their reporting teeth in print, or on the radio or TV, and that hewed to the traditional conventions of what was considered good journalism— are dead in the water and won’t make the transition to a digital world. They’re expensive to run, the thinking goes: stuck in old-school thinking, and, well, just plain too old. And it’s true, some of the best-known journalism organizations in the country have
either been reduced to a shadow of their former selves, or have disappeared altogether.
But there’s much more to this story than gloomy prognostications about the demise of traditional media. Because Mother Jones is a nonprofit organization, we’ve weathered the general economic tumult better than our counterparts who are dependent on advertising for financial survival. This is the secret behind MoJo’s strength: You—our readers and donors—have given us the cushion to ride out difficult times.
More importantly, with your support we’ve been able to build Mother Jones into a bonafide home for original investigative journalism—with an award-winning, high-impact team of reporters and editors covering the stories and issues that really matter. Plus, we’ve broken through the conventional wisdom: Mother Jones is helping to create the future of journalism using all the new media tools at our disposal—the web, social media, you name it—while also continuing to produce a top-quality print magazine year in and year out. We’re doing two things at once: covering and commenting
on the 24/7 news cycle online at MotherJones.com, and going deep into the context behind breaking news with Mother Jones magazine. Even more, we’re engaging with our community of readers through social media, inviting them into a conversation with our reporters and editors about what matters.
Why do we do this? Because in the end we believe—as do you—that independent journalism that tells the truth about the world we live in can make a difference. Because (as we note later on in this report) Mother Jones was founded some 35 years ago to contribute to the great historic arc toward justice and social change.
Your support has made this possible, and for that, on behalf of Mother Jones’ entire board and staff, you have our deepest thanks and appreciation.
Kind regards,
Steven Katz, Publisher
Madeleine Buckingham, ceo
Contents 2 Mission statement
3 A note from the publisher & ceo
5 What Mother Jones does
6 Six principles for the future
8 How we make a difference: Fill the gap.
11 How we make a difference: Get there first.
12 How we make a difference: Use media effectively.
14 How we make a difference: Don’t let go.
The Foundation for National Progress
21 2008-2009 contributors and supporters
26 The Mary Harris Jones Legacy Society
27 Board of directors
28 Staff
30 Statement of activities for the year ending December 31, 2009
34 How you can help
2008-2009 Reporting Highlights
15 Special reports
17 Features
18 Photo essays
19 Online/Washington, DC, bureau coverage
What We Do Mother Jones magazine and MotherJones.com
Awarded the prestigious National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2008 and 2010, Mother Jones magazine is published by the nonprofit Foundation for National Progress. With a paid circulation of more than 215,000, Mother Jones continues to be one of the nation’s top thought-leader publications. In 1993, Mother Jones launched the first-ever general-interest magazine website and began developing the journalistic possibilities of this new global medium. Today, MotherJones .com reaches more than 1 million readers each month, and the magazine has a large and loyal community of followers on social media mainstays Facebook and Twitter. Together, the magazine
and website offer our audience the depth and context of longform reporting, combined with the breaking-news delivery people crave in this digital age.
The Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program
Mother Jones is home to one of the largest and most ambitious internship and fellowship programs in the independent media world. Over the past 30 years, more than 700 interns and fellows have benefited from intensive real-world training in the essentials of investigative journalism. In 2008, Mother Jones named its internship program in honor of the great investigative reporter and journalism educator Ben Bagdikian. Bagdikian interns and fellows work side by side with MoJo’s editors and writers, fact-checking, researching, and writing original reported stories for print and online.
Mother Jones as a center for innovation and incubation
Mother Jones plays an increasingly important role in fostering a healthy future for journalism. As an incubator for new approaches, including iterative reporting by our staff journalists, Mother Jones fosters collaboration across organizational boundaries and media platforms. As part of this commitment, we support new journalism initiatives and projects such as San Francisco’s PopUp Magazine, a live magazine experience, and collaborative publishing projects such as Longshot, which produces, designs, and publishes a full-size print magazine in 48 hours. Mother Jones also continues to support The Media Consortium, a partnership of some 45 independent, progressive journalism organizations that have come together to strengthen their collective voice.
Six principles for the Future
It’s hard to imagine a world as volatile and—to put a positive spin on it—rich with opportunities for change as the one Mother Jones operates in today: global political change, intensely angry political rhetoric, deep economic uncertainty, and the transformation of the media landscape. As we navigate these difficult but exciting times, Mother Jones aspires to be known as the leading source for high-quality investigative journalism
that’s independent, intelligent, passionate, and creative. Built on innovation, flexibility, and transparency, Mother Jones enables readers to discover new truths in the world through our reporting. We help put the latest in politics, human rights, financial affairs, and the environment in context. And we aim to equip readers with tools to respond as informed citizens.
It’s no coincidence that Mother Jones has emerged as an exemplary model of how nonprofit journalism can work, and has worked, since we began publishing in 1976. The New York Times called Mother Jones a “real-life laboratory” for the future of journalism, and the San Francisco Chronicle called us a “role model” for the industry. It’s also why Mother Jones has been awarded the National Magazine Award for General Excellence—the Oscars of the magazine trade—twice in the past three years. And it’s why more than 215,000 people subscribe to the print magazine, and another million visit MotherJones.com each month.
To reach these goals, and to expand our audience, we have set out six core principles that will help us make sense of the way forward.
[1] Build on 35 years of print journalism and create a 21st century magazine.
Our roots are in print journalism, and even today—with all the attention being given to new digital products—we believe that a print magazine can do things that no digital product can yet deliver. It is superbly designed to serve both the needs of longform narrative journalism and high-quality photojournalism. It allows individual stories to be placed in a larger context in vibrant, living color.
[2] The future growth of Mother Jones is digital.
At the same time, the future of Mother Jones is increasingly a digital (and multimedia) one. Digital technology offers a cost-effective method of distributing and disseminating our reporting to a large audience. And with two publishing platforms—digital and print—we can build on the strengths of each and give our community of readers an integrated journalism experience.
[5] Do a few very important things very well.
Mother Jones’ identity is rooted in investigative journalism that exposes and explains the behavior of the power wielders of our time, from politics to the corporate world, providing a factual basis for social change. In everything we cover, the unique Mother Jones approach is to seek the story behind the story. We are close to to the news, but not part of the herd; we tell you things that no one else will about (and beyond) what’s in the 24/7 headlines.
[3] Impact is at the center of our work.
Our job doesn’t end when a story is published. We work not only to produce great journalism, but also to do our part in the great historic trend toward justice and social change. We aim to ensure that our journalism makes a difference in the world by reaching out in all directions to connect our stories with a wide, diverse, and dynamic audience of readers.
[4] Community is an essential element of Mother Jones’ future.
As one of the originators of the nonprofit journalism model, we know how important our community’s support is to Mother Jones’ success. Engagement with our community means unleashing the power of online networks to disseminate our reporting and content, to develop new sources for our reporting, and to maximize the impact of our stories. Seismic shifts in the media business mean that this engagement will only become more important in the coming years.
[6] Deepen our role as a center for journalistic innovation and incubation.
We see Mother Jones functioning as an incubator for new approaches to journalism, such as iterative reporting by our staff writers, collaboration across organizational boundaries, and “pro-am” experiments that combine the best of professional journalism with the people formerly known as “the audience.” We also support intriguing new projects such as PopUp and Longshot magazines. And we will continue to build on our established commitment to the next generation of journalists through the Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program.
This is journalism that makes a difference.
In the next few pages, we highlight the ways Mother Jones is adapting and thriving in a new media environment. We spotlight how our print and online reporting is using the technological revolution to create a diverse interactive relationship with our audience and how we are furthering our coverage of issues ignored or underreported by the commercial press.
After he served 19 years at the helm of Mother Jones, we
said goodbye to Jay Harris as publisher in late 2009. Jay
dedicated much of his life as the spirited and charismatic
leader of the organization, taking Mother Jones from
its sophomore years into adulthood. His passion for
progressive issues will continue to inspire and engage
people in the years to come. We can’t thank him
enough for his dedication to smart, fearless
journalism, and we wish him
great success with his new
endeavors.
How We Make a Difference: Fill the gap.
The decline in the commercial press has led to widening gaps in coverage of serious news. Mother Jones responded by launching an eight-person DC bureau in the fall of 2007 and, more recently, by introducing two new reporting initiatives: a collaborative approach to reporting on climate change and an expanded commitment to reporting on human rights issues domestically and around the globe.
A political perspective inside and outside the Beltway
The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism’s February 2009 report on “The New Washington Press Corps” included some stunning statistics: Since the mid-1980s,
the number of newspapers with bureaus in Washington has declined by more than half, and the number of media organizations with congressional reporting credentials fell by 17 percent from 1998 to 2009.
As an anchor for an increasingly influential independent media ecosystem, Mother Jones’ Washington bureau is part of the solution in DC. We deploy skilled reporters to cover the White House, the executive branch, Congress, the courts, and the private interests and power bases that shape modern government.
Led by David Corn, Mother Jones’ DC bureau has carved out an important and effective niche in Beltway journalism—covering news as it happens in the Rose Garden and beyond, as well as digging deep into the story behind the headlines. With reporters on the ground and dialed into the inside scoop, MoJo can break news right alongside the big guns. Since opening in 2007, news reports from the bureau have helped shape the national media landscape from inside the Beltway.
2008 election coverage
During the 2008 election, MoJo’s DC bureau consistently broke stories that led the news. In January 2008, David Corn reported John McCain’s campaign-trail comment that it would be “fine” with him if the US stayed in Iraq for “a hundred years.” Corn’s exposé of Ohio pastor Rod Parsley’s virulent anti-Islamic preaching made national broadcast news and forced John McCain to disavow the influential televangelist’s endorsement. And a month before McCain advisor Phil Gramm scolded Americans for living in a “mental recession,” Corn documented Gramm’s pivotal role in jamming through changes in the regulation of credit default swaps that led directly to the housing and credit crises.
“There’s Something About Mary: Unmasking a Gun Lobby Mole” (online, July 2008)
Washington bureau chief David Corn, senior correspondent James Ridgeway, and news editor Daniel Schulman revealed that the National Rifle Association paid a freelance spy, Mary Lou Sapone, to infiltrate gun-control organizations at the highest levels for more
than a decade. An earlier story by Ridgeway documented how a Maryland-based private security firm spied on Greenpeace and other environmental groups on behalf of corporate clients.
Coverage of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation (online, May-July 2009)
Mother Jones’ Washington bureau covered the Sotomayor confirmation hearing from numerous angles, many of them (such as Ken Starr’s endorsement of the Obama pick) picked up by outside media.
“Blackwater’s World of Warcraft” (March/April 2008) “Their Own Private Africa” “Animal House in Afghanistan” “The Cowboys of Kabul” (online, September 2009)
This package of print and online articles was part of reporter Bruce Falconer’s and Daniel Schulman’s groundbreaking investigation of the military contractor industry. They reported how a little known subsidiary of Blackwater, Greystone, recruits mercenaries from Colombia, Chile, and other countries as part of their global private army for hire. These stories helped bring to light numerous abuses and frame the national military contractor debate.
Covering climate change
In October of 2009, Mother Jones pulled together a group of reporting organizations (including The Nation, Grist, Treehugger, Fora .tv, the Uptake, the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, and Discover blogs) to cover the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen. A force of two dozen reporters and videographers, including Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, Chris Mooney, and David Corn, broke a number of stories, posted articles and video in real time, and generated a social-media feed that shared content with the combined audience of all outlets and helped get our coverage on sites such as Huffington Post and The Atlantic.
In December 2009, Mother Jones convened a two-day strategy session to design a longer-term collaborative effort. Participants included Slate, The Atlantic, Wired, the Nation Institute, Grist, the Center for Investigative Reporting, and PBS’ Need to Know, the WNET-New York series that replaced Bill Moyers’ show after his retirement in the spring of 2010. Out of these conversations came The Climate Desk, a new reporting partnership targeting the collective reach of these outlets’ 25 million readers.
The Climate Desk has generated substantial buzz in the journalism and environmental policy worlds, with coverage in the Columbia Journalism Review, Folio, The Guardian, and Mediabistro, among others; climate advocacy sites such as PowerShift and 350.org all told their followers about it. The Yale Forum on Climate Media called it a “new model for serious journalism in troubled times.” Simon Dumenco of Advertising Age, in an interview with Mother Jones co-editor Clara Jeffery, called The Climate Desk “a potentially revolutionary cooperative reporting venture.”
The Anita Fund: A Global Justice Journalism Project
Dame Anita Roddick believed in brave journalism as a critical means of identifying injustice and compelling change for those deprived of their basic human rights. Anita recognized that intrepid investigative reporters were often the first ones to draw the connections between human misery and upstream abuses of power. She believed that journalism is indispensible in bridging truth to justice.
After her death, the staff and board of Mother Jones chose to honor Anita by creating a fund that would represent her values and further her ideals. Thanks to a generous grant endowed by her husband Gordon and their two daughters, Justine and Sam, we proudly launched The Anita Fund: A Global Justice Journalism Project in late 2009.
Combining two of Anita’s great passions—the struggle for global justice and the fierce, probative investigative journalism that can prompt social change—the fund aims to build on Mother Jones’ long-time commitment to human rights.
We hired Mac McClelland, a smart and passionate journalist, to report full-time on global and domestic human rights issues. In addition to her work in the print magazine, Mac capitalizes on the immediacy of the digital age by breaking news both on her blog, The Rights Stuff, and via her Twitter feed, which has more than 7,000 followers.
How We Make a Difference: Get there first.
Jeff Cohen, the founder of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, once said, “If it’s in the New York Times, it was in Mother Jones six months ago.” From the beginning, Mother Jones has aimed to impact the news cycle by breaking stories that help shift the national conversation toward real issues and facts—2008 and 2009 were no exception.
Here are few examples of how our reporters stayed out in front in 2008 and 2009:
“Foreclosure Phil” and the subprime meltdown timeline (July/August 2008)
As noted in the Columbia Journalism Review, Mother Jones’ package on the housing mess helped the rest of the press connect McCain advisor Phil Gramm to the deregulation of credit default swaps in late 2008. David Corn’s “Foreclosure Phil” was mentioned, among other places, in the National Review, the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, as well as on Democracy Now! and Air America Radio’s Ron Reagan Show.
“Who Shredded Our Safety Net?” (May/June 2009)
This cover package featured analyses by James Ridgeway, James K. Galbraith, and others detailing how corporate America hijacked the retirement economy. The stories made complex financial topics accessible and were widely discussed in the blogosphere, and amongst national commentators.
“First, Do Harm” (July/August 2009)
Justine Sharrock’s story broke new ground in the detainee-torture discussion, revealing that doctors
were far more active participants in war-time torture than previously understood, and that the professional bodies in charge of policing medical ethics have failed to address the issue. In a related story, DC assistant editor Nick Baumann’s online pieces on the cover-up of a key Justice Department anti-torture memo showed that former vice president Dick Cheney not only advocated torture, but aggressively went after those within the Bush administration who opposed his position.
“Totally Wasted” (July/August 2009)
Our summer cover package put the drug war front and center at a time when drug violence in Mexico was reaching a fever pitch. Contributing writer Charles Bowden’s profile, “‘We Bring Fear,’” of a journalist on the run from the “biggest cartel of all,” Mexico’s US-funded army, drew broad attention from the media and human rights groups. The package’s focus on the dramatic escalation in violence the drug war has wrought throughout Mexico, and in the 259 US cities where the cartels operate, recharged the debate on US-Mexico relations.
How We Make a Difference: Use media effectively.
Effectively capitalizing on new media opportunities is a priority for Mother Jones staff. We relaunched MotherJones.com in 2008 in Drupal, an open-source publishing platform—the ultimate model of a truly free press. Our writers and editors, particularly those in the DC bureau, are producing more daily content than ever before and working with our
online media colleagues to share content with new audiences across several high-traffic aggregate sites and social media platforms.
In addition, we’ve put together a team dedicated to testing and capitalizing on new-media strategies in order to build our audience. Whether it is a two-way conversation with our nearly 29,000 Facebook fans about the latest Mother Jones cover; tweeting breaking news to our 27,000-plus Twitter followers (not to mention the tens of thousands of people who follow our reporters); hosting online forums to discuss the complexities of a controversial feature story; or ensuring Mother Jones’ latest reports find their way onto social networking
sites like Digg, Reddit, and StumbleUpon, we are figuring out innovative ways to reach and engage new and current readers alike.
Viral victory
Anna Lenzer’s September/October 2009 cover story, “Spin the Bottle,” revealed how Fiji Water uses celebrity greenwashing to disguise environmental damage, public health failures, and silence in the face of Fiji’s military junta. The story proved to be a textbook case of journalism gone viral. After it was published online it picked up buzz immediately via social media, especially Twitter. Blogs piled on (including a series of attempts by Fiji Water itself to do damage control—it got to the point where Fiji Water saw the need to offer a free beach blanket to anyone who would tweet positively about it), which further stoked the social media fire. It wasn’t until a week later that traditional media (newspapers, radio shows, and magazines) took notice—but when they did, those pickups in turn were reflected in print, online articles, blogs and social media, kick-starting the coverage all over again.
CBS Evening News CBS: Early Show ABC: Good Morning America ABC: This Week with George Stephanopoulos PBS: Bill Moyers Journal Fox News: The O’Reilly Factor Fox News: Hannity & Colmes MSNBC: Hardball with Chris Matthews MSNBC: The Rachel Maddow Show MSNBC: Countdown with Keith Olbermann MSNBC: The Ed Show CNN: The Situation Room CNN: Reliable Sources Comedy Central: The Colbert Report C-SPAN NPR: The Diane Rehm Show ABC Radio: Imus in the Morning Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now!
MoJo in the media
Just as we’re expanding our presence online, so too are we reaching new audiences via television, radio, and major print publication appearances. Here are a few examples of our ever-growing media presence in 2008-2009, and you can track our latest media appearances at our press page at MotherJones.com.
How We Make a Difference: don’t let go.
Our editors encourage Mother Jones writers to do what we call “iterative reporting”: to walk readers through the process of making real journalism, as well as deliver a superb finished product. In sharing reporting revelations along the way via social media, the reporting process is more transparent and the audience is engaged and invested in the evolution of a story. An in-depth final product, complete with vivid visuals and multimedia elements, can help us reach a broad and diverse audience.
Such was the case when, in October 2009, staff reporter Josh Harkinson chased down the truth behind the US Chamber of Commerce’s inflated claim of 3 million members. Josh’s reporting forced the Chamber to publicly revise its number downward by more than 90 percent. This put the Chamber on the defensive at the same time that major US corporations were leaving to protest the Chamber’s climate-change denials and the intensive lobbying it was conducting against the Waxman-Markey climate bill. Harkinson’s story was picked up by major media and led to a flood of comments on the Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page calling on it to stop lying about its numbers. DC-based reporter Kate Sheppard even confronted a Chamber representative, who
refused on camera to discuss the discrepancy. The story caught fire online as it unfolded, and it ended up as a more in-depth piece in the print magazine. And Josh continues his ongoing investigative work into the Chamber’s record on climate change. In Josh’s own words, “The public and policymakers are starting to view the Chamber as...just another special interest group that represents a few pretty dirty industries.”
Torture Hits Home, March/April 2008
I Was Kidnapped by the CIA Peter Bergen
Voluntary Confinement Michael Mechanic
Am I a Torturer? Justine Sharrock
Department of Pre-Crime Eric Umansky
The Final Act of Abu Ghraib JoAnn Wypijewski
The Future of Energy, May/June 2008
Scenes From the Tar Wars Josh Harkinson
Breaking the Efficiency Gridlock Jennifer Kahn
Put a Tyrant in Your Tank Joshua Kurlantzick
The Nuclear Option Judith Lewis
The Greenback Effect Bill McKibben
Mr. Match.com Pimps Solar Jon Mooallem
Congress’ Top 10 Fossil Fools Chris Mooney
Scrubbing King Coal James Ridgeway
The Seven Myths of Energy Independence Paul Roberts
A Charge to Keep Britt Robson
Small-Town America’s Green Lifeline Jennifer Vogel
Who Wrecked the Economy? July/August 2008
Foreclosure Phil David Corn
The GOP’s December Surprise James K. Galbraith
Where Credit Is Due: A Timeline Nomi Prins
Slammed: The Coming Prison Meltdown, July/August 2008
Welcome to the Age of Incarceration Jennifer Gonnerman
When Prison Guards Go Soft Sasha Abramsky
Hard Time Out David Goodman
Why Texas Still Holds ‘Em Stephanie Mencimer
Probation Profiteers Celia Perry
The Shawnee Redemption Justine Sharrock
Convicting California James Sterngold
Exit Strategy, September/October 2008
Pursuit of Habeas Jack Hitt The Next Prez’s Superpowers David Cole
After W, Will the Press Get a Spine? David Corn
Weakened Warriors Bruce Falconer
Timeline: Bush’s Reign of Error Nick Baumann and Dave Gilson
How to Burn the Speculators James K. Galbraith
America’s Most Dangerous Librarians Amy Goodman and David Goodman
No Contractor Left Behind Josh Harkinson
Party Favors: Land Handouts Are a Gas Keith Kloor
The Chinavore’s Dilemma, and Relief Disaster Joshua Kurlantzick Mission Creep Michael Mechanic, map by Karen Minot
Do Taxpayers Need Marriage Workshops? Stephanie Mencimer Return to Reason Chris Mooney Medicare’s Poison Pill James Ridgeway
What Was [email protected] Really Up To? Daniel Schulman
Special Reports Mother Jones 2008/2009
The New ECOnomy, November/December 2008
Can We Save the Planet and Rescue the Economy at the Same Time? Al Gore
The Most Important Number on Earth Bill McKibben
Earth to Washington David Corn
The Great Persuader Kevin Drum
When Tree Sitters Heart Lumberjacks Josh Harkinson
What About the Dirty Jobs? Chris Lehmann
Big Green Brother Katharine Mieszkowski
The Science Project Chris Mooney
The Truth About Green Jobs David Roberts
Let’s Go Europe Mark Schapiro
The Seven Deadly Deficits Joseph E. Stiglitz
How Ford Lost Focus Fara Warner
Your Top 20 Econundrums—Solved! Ben Whitford
Diet for a Warm Planet Julia Whitty
Smart Growth: Fresh Solutions for Our Rotten Food System, March/April 2009
Foodie, Beware Daniel Duane
The Saline Solution, and Tray Chic Josh Harkinson
Michael Pollan Fixes Dinner Clara Jeffrey
This Little Piggy Goes Home Bonnie Azab Powell
Spoiled: Organic and Local Is So 2008 Paul Roberts
Why Biofuels Are the Rainforest’s Worst Enemy Heather Rogers
Who Ran Away With Your 401(k)? May/June 2009
Who Shredded Our Safety Net? James Ridgeway
No Country for Middle-Aged Men Sasha Abramsky
Security Blanket: How Social Security Can Save Us All James K. Galbraith
Pension Privateers David Cay Johnston
Waste Not Want Not, May/June 2009
Recycling? Fuhgeddaboudit Susan Burton
Waste Not Want Not Bill McKibben
Meet the Zero-Waste Zealots Elizabeth Royte
Sludge Happens Josh Harkinson
Plastic. Fantastic? Jennifer Kahn
Industrial Strength Solution Joel Makower
Totally Wasted, July/August 2009
This Is Your War on Drugs Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery
“We Bring Fear” Charles Bowden The Patriot’s Guide to Legalization Kevin Drum
Las Baladas Prohibidas William T. Vollmann The Altered States of America Sam Baldwin and Daniel Luzer
Climate Countdown, November/December 2009
Too Hot to Handle Bill McKibben
The Last Breakup Ted Genoways
Betting the Farm Kevin Drum
The New Dust Bowl Josh Harkinson
Return of the Fungi Andy Isaacson
Agents of Climate Change, and What Happens When Your Country Drowns? Rachel Morris
Earth in the Balance Sheet Hillary Rosner GM’s Money Trees Mark Schapiro
Not Under My Backyard Victoria Schlesinger
The Sheikh Down, September/October 2009 Shane Bauer
Enter Stage Right, September/October 2009 Nick Baumann
Louisiana’s Mulch Madness, March/April 2008 Michael Behar
Let There Be Light Crude, January/February 2008 Mariah Blake
Meet the Parents: The Dark Side of Overseas Adoption, March/April 2009 Scott Carney
Class Is the New Black, January/February 2009 Debra J. Dickerson
Obama’s Great Afghanistan Gamble, May/June 2009, and Is AIPAC Still the Chosen One? September/October 2009 Robert Dreyfuss
10 Ways to Trade Up, March/April 2009 Kevin Drum
The FBI’s Least Wanted, May/June 2009 Bruce Falconer
Blackwater’s World of Warcraft, March/April 2008 Bruce Falconer and Daniel Schulman
Stimulus Is for Suckers, January/February 2009 James K. Galbraith
The People vs. Dick Cheney, January/February 2009 Karen Greenberg
The Apostles of Ron Paul, January/February 2008, and Harry Reid, Gold Member, March/April 2009, and What’s Your Water Footprint? July/August 2009 Josh Harkinson
Fiscal Therapy, January/February 2009 David Cay Johnston
Fiji Water: Spin the Bottle, September/October 2009 Anna Lenzer
The Last Empire: China’s Pollution Problem Goes Global, January/February 2008 Jacques Leslie
The Landmark Forum: 42 Hours, $500, 65 Breakdowns, July/August 2009 Laura McClure
Primary Color, January/February 2008, and Why Mercury Tuna Is Still Legal, September/October 2008, and Brave New Welfare, January/February 2009, and I Love a Mark in Uniform, July/August 2009 Stephanie Mencimer
Shock and Audit: The Hidden Defense Budget, September/October 2009 Rachel Morris
Scrubbing King Coal, May/June 2008, and Medicare’s Poison Pill, September/October 2008 James Ridgeway
The Spy Who Loved Hamas. And Hezbollah. And Iran, September/October 2009 David Samuels
First, Do Harm, July/August 2009 Justine Sharrock
Buying the Bull, January/February 2009 Dean Starkman
Failure to Launch, January/February 2008 James Sterngold
Man With the Plan, January/February 2009 Paul Tough
March of the Tourists, July/August 2008, and What Invasive Species Are Trying to Tell Us, January/February 2009 Julia Whitty
Select Features Mother Jones 2008/2009
Out of Iowa, March/April 2008 Danny Wilcox Frazier, text by Ted Genoways
Memorial Day Comes but Once a Year, November/December 2008 Julia Gillard
The Terror of Tijuana, July/August 2009 Eros Hoagland
Aryan Outfitters March/April 2008 Anthony Karen
Unwell, November/December 2008 Christopher LaMarca, text by Rebecca Clarren
Dreams From My Father, January/February 2009 Jon Lowenstein and Jerald Walker
Out of Mind, Out of Sight, March/April 2009 Eugene Richards
Vintage Ad’s Pride and Prejudice, September/October 2009 Hank Willis Thomas
Phone Sex Operators September/October 2008 Phillip Toledano
Can You Love a Child of Rape? May/June 2009 Jonathan Torgovnik
A Bitter Leaf, July/August 2008 Marco Vernaschi, text by Patrick Symmes
End of the Line, September/October 2009 Danny Wilcox Frazier and Charlie LeDuff
photo essays Mother Jones 2008/2009
online Highlights 2008/2009
Forums
Pro-Nuke? Anti-Nuke? Stewart Brand, Judith Lewis, Jonas Siegel, and Harvey Wasserman
Iran Panic? Laura Rozen, Daniel Levy, Yossi Melman, Trita Parsi, Danny Postel, Jacqueline Shire
Is Organic and Local So 2008? Paul Roberts, Lisa Gosselin, Jim Harkness, and Ryan Zinn
Special Reports
Angola 3: 36 Years of Solitude
36 Years of Solitude James Ridgeway
Portraits of Invisible Men Adam Shemper
Angola 3 Dispatch: Albert Woodfox Hearing Jordan Flaherty
Solitary Confinement: A Brief History;
Camp J, Red Hats, and the Hole;
Convict Confection: Robert King’s Freelines;
The Convicts and the Dame Brooke Shelby Biggs
Select Articles
Should Obama Control the Internet? Steve Aquino
A Cheney Cover-Up? Nick Baumann and David Corn
Billions to Be Lost in Auto Bailout?
Clinton on Gore: “I thought he was in Neverland”;
McCain Blasts Wall Street Failure, Neglects to Mention His Adviser Helped Cause It;
McCain in NH: Would be “Fine” To Keep Troops in Iraq for “A Hundred Years”;
McCain’s Pastor Problem: The Video;
McCain’s Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam; Sarah Palin: Neo-Con Pawn?;
Sarah Palin’s Secret Emails;
Two NRA Lobbyists Violating the McCain Campaign’s Conflict Rules?
Van Jones and the 9/11 Conspiracy Theory Poison David Corn
McCain Attacks Wall Street Greed—While 83 Wall Street Lobbyists Work for His Campaign David Corn, Jonathan Stein, and Nick Baumann
Contractors Gone Wild; Inside the CIA’s (Sort of) Secret Document Stash;Showdown in Blackwater’s Backyard Bruce Falconer
Asking for TARP Funds Takes Only 27 Minutes Alexis Fitts and Daniel Luzer
Are Starbucks and Whole Foods Union Busters? Beck’s Next Scalp: NEA’s Yosi Sergant;
The Chamber’s Numbers Game; PG&E Quits Chamber of Commerce Over Its “Extreme Position on Climate Change”;
US Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue’s Climate Conflict of Interest;
What’s Really Behind the Van Jones Attack; Welcome Home, Bush! Josh Harkinson
Sen. David Vitter (R-Formaldehyde) Andy Kroll
Cayman Island Office Building Home to 9,000 Tax Cheats;
Civil Rights Groups Defending Predatory Lenders: Priceless;
Supreme Court: Taking Care of Business;
Tempest in the Tea Party;
Where’s Karen Ignagni’s Copay?
Why is Obama Backing Bank of America in Court? Stephanie Mencimer
Meet the Birthers Rachel Morris and Daniel Schulman
Banner Week for Big Insurance; Black Ops,
Green Groups;
Environmental Espionage: Inside a Chemical Company’s Louisiana Spy Op;
Government Health Care Kills Granny Dead! Town Halls and the Resurgence of the Radical Right James Ridgeway
There’s Something About Mary: Unmasking a Gun Lobby Mole James Ridgeway, Daniel Schulman, and David Corn
Animal House in Afghanistan;
The Cowboys of Kabul; Palin: Don’t Save the Whales;
Palin to Be No-Show at Obama’s Dinner for McCain Daniel Schulman
Chris Dodd’s Personal Bailout;
Revolving Door, Bailout Edition Daniel Schulman and Jonathan Stein
The GOP’s Internet Insurgents;
John Bolton at CPAC: The Benefits of Nuking Chicago;
John Lewis: John McCain’s Wise Man? The John McCain School for Lobbyists;
John McCain’s Fannie and Freddie Connections;
MoJo Video: Party-Crashing the Democratic National Convention’s Private Back Rooms Jonathan Stein
Photo Essays
Appalachia as the Crow Flies Tim Barnwell
The Last Empire James Whitlow Delano
Hugo Chavez’s Referendum Bryan Derballa
India’s Forgotten Faces Jesse Finfrock and Rachel Lichte
Portraits From the Evangelical Ivy League Jona Frank, text by Hanna Rosin
The Dying Newsroom Marin Gee
Curse of the Black Gold Ed Kashi, text by Michael Watts
Meadowlands Joshua Lutz, text by Robert Sullivan
Inside Hamas Summer Camp Eman Mohammed
Mexican Superheroes Dulce Pinzon
Portraits of Invisible Men Adam Shemper
Guantanamo Bay Still Life Christopher Sims
The Secret Love Letters of Afghan Women Lana Slezic
Paul Stamets and the Holy Grail of Mushrooms Paul Stamets and Andy Isaacson
Central Valley Agriculture Scott Squire
From Russia, With Fear Daro Sulakauri
Everything Must Go Brian Ulrich
2nd Tour, Hope I Don’t Die Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos
Cine Ambiental VOCES Andrew David Watson
Foundation for national progress2008/2009 Contributors and Supporters
Publisher’s Circle $10,000+ annuallyAnonymous (2)Janis Adams and John LyonsBarbara BossonJane W. ButcherE. A. ChivingtonPaul ColebrookColombe FoundationCREDO MobileFJC FoundationGladys Krieble Delmas FoundationDavid GlasscoGratia Ainslie FoundationGruber Family FoundationIrving Harris FoundationLannan FoundationMcKay FoundationJohn J. McLean EstateRichard and Barbara MelcherRobert MorrisonHope MorrissettCarolyn MugarMark North
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National Affairs Council $5,000 - $9,999 annuallyAnonymous Charles AinslieCynda Collins ArsenaultDylan Disalvio, Alyx Levine and Elan LevineCheryl ForteLouise and Jim FrankelFrankel Family FoundationFranklin Conklin FoundationHarris Family FoundationJoshua Mailman FoundationKatz Family FoundationJeanie and Murray KilgourRobert KlausnerLitowitz FoundationNew Belgium Brewing CompanyPaul and Paulette RyanMeredith SpearJennifer and Ted StanleyJulia M. StaschThomas WarnerJoseph and Dana Ziolkowski
Leadership Gifts Society $1,500 - $4,999 annuallyAnonymous (2)Aspen Business Center Foundation / McBride FamilyPamelia C. BarrattKathy Barry and Robert BurnettLaura BelinGene BirminghamDavid BrunelBob BurnettSteve and Midge CarstensenMartin and Elizabeth CohenPaulette ColeCompton FoundationDavid and Vicki CoxMichael ErnstSara L. FrankelJudy GoldLaurie GottliebHobart G. GuionNancy HamiltonDerry HendersonLeo Hindery James C. HormelAndrew Kassoy
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Hellraisers $500 - $1,499 annuallyAnonymous (13)Suzanne AlexanderAdolph AlmquistSarah AndersonBen and Marlene BagdikianHarriett BalkindHarriet S. BarlowPatrick BarnettHad BeattyKathy BeckSandy BelkindBarbara BellGerald BeyerSuzanne BlueElspeth G. BobbsMichelle Borg and Jackie CuneoLinda A. BoroughsJoan Catherine BraunKathleen BrodineMs. Percy BrowningScott J. and Mavis G. BuginasRobert Burns, MDRay H. BurtonPenelope CabotJames F. CampbellNancy and Andrew E. CarlsonDaniel Casey and Dolores ConnollyJohn Cawley and Ms. Christine Marshall
Jo ChapmanDavid ChepkoMark ColodnyVicki and David CoxJames CrowJames B. DanielsJonathan Dayton and Ms. Valerie FarisSally De WittWilliam G. DempseyKathy DenisonChristina DesserDavid DietelLarry D. Doores and Janet R. WolfeFelix L. du BreuilSonja Duckworth Dudley FoundationJohn DuffyAnne EhrlichAnn EkstromKaren EschenbachPatricia FarrantMelodie G. FeeleyEllen W. FeeneyBrigitte and Gary FleemanPeter FlomJohn FoleyJudith FoleyAudrey Fishman FranklinLyn FrasierFriedman Fund of the Tides Foundation
Mary M. and Talal H. GamaDaniel GenshaftWayne GershDave and Betsy GiffordRabbi Sam Gordon and Patty GerstenblithJanice R. and Raymond M. GrantJerry A. GreenwaldLumina GreenwayLee and Lulu GrodzinsEthan D. GrossmanHackberry Endowment PartnersThomas HagerJay Harris and Marcia CohenBarbara HaysJames D. Heiden and Susan PetersonSusan R. HelperSvend HestoftBowman HinckleyLindsay HumpalMahendra HundalLura C. HutchinsonMarjorie ImmonenJohn JanzarukCyrus JohnsonLois JosephAlan L. KatzDonna Katzin and Alan Altschuler
Stephen KaufmanEugene J. KettnerMichael and Frances KieschnickJeffrey KimballCharles KirekerRhoda KittelsenThomas B. KnoedlerHelen P. LaddCherlie Larson and Ms. Diana WiegelJulie LeflerMichael H. LiljaCory and Debbie LipoffRuth A. LucasEduardo J. MaglioneDaniel C. MaguireTimothy J. MaloneyGeorge Martin EsqTed MaysJames McGrathPeter J. McNabbBrian MeisterSteven MelendezRobert MichaanShayle MillerMarjorie MinotWayne and Jan MitchellRobert A. MoeserKenneth F. Mountcastle and Katharine B. MountcastleMarc A. Musick and Mary Rose
Grace Allen NewtonDorothy J. NiccollsBeverly Brazier Noun and Bob NounKathleen O’GradyPatrick O’HeffernanNora OlgyayDavid B. Olsen and Diana DillawayMarte ParhamJay PattinTheresa PerenichHilary E. PerkinsRoland H. Pesch and Kathleen A. RosskophRonald PhelonGenny PlamondonMary Jane PollackGeorge PostRevenge Is, LLCRonald Leroy RichardsGayle RichardsonL. Richardson, Jr.Randolph E. RichardsonRod and Sherry RinellAnne L. RobinsonHadley RoffSievert and Brigitte RohwerPaul RomanoFrank Roosevelt
Rubblestone FoundationSabbatino Family Funding TrustAmi G. SadlerSandbox Studio ChicagoStephen SaksBettylu and Paul SaltzmanLilli Scheye and Norman ShapiroSteven R. SchildPaul SchwarzbaumRoy L. SchweyerThomas ScruggsPhilip SemasMichael A. and La Donna R. SheaRobert T. and Nancy E. SheetsWilliam ShieldsC. D. ShortRichard SimmondsJulius SlazinskiJohn L. SmithSheila Smith and Edwin T. CregoSamuel G. SolittJonathan SpeakerMarcella SpinottiEllen Ruth Stone BelicFred StrickhouserJim Struve and Jeff BellAnn L. StuetzerGilbert Tauck
David N. TaylorJanice TazelaarJack TheimerWilliam and Catherine TislarMargaret B. TitusBrenton VerPloegMarilyin VitaleBarbara L. WalkerBelinda WalkerDavid WardenJennifer Alter Warden and Rob WardenPhilip F. WarnerDebbie WeeterRobert WeinstockJan A. WellsNancy and Christian WernerJim and Mary WhiteStephen D. WhiteLeslie WilburAndrea L. WilliamsDan WilsonWinky FoundationTheodore and Gertrude WinsbergGuy WolfJoshua and Laura Wolf-PowersPat Wright and Paul HeffronGordon M. YoungerCharles ZimmerAnaïs Zoë
Muckrakers $250 - $499 annuallyAnonymous (4)Clarence M. AblowMichele AbruzzoPeter AlexeasBernard AlfredAles J. AllanKeith AllemanJudith AllenLucy AllenRichard AmesDinah AndersenMary E. AndersonKathy AragonGeorges AstieOlivia AtchersonJohn F. AuchLinda BaileyGregory F. BallFord Ballantyne, IIIDelores A. BarbeauMiriam BarberenaAllen BarryM. BarstadMichael D. BartanenP. L. BaylessGeorge BeardRuth A. BeckerSuzanne I. BehrMagnus BennedsenBill BerreyesaRobert BerryEdward BetzigMargaret Bishop
Dawn Black-FoxMolly BlackwellElizabeth K. BlattRobert BlizardFaith BlumenfeldMitchell Boers and Stephanie Long BoersFrederick BolandRobert BolandAllan BonneyDaniel K. BorregardDavid and Lupe BotelloBeth and Don BowmanMartha BoykinsDonna Branch-GilbyKate BreckenridgeS. G. Bridges Jr.Harriet B. BrittainDuward BrownWilliam W. BrownVirginia C. BrowneMarianne BrumbyDarryl BullingtonEdward BurkeDale K. and Carolyn P. BurtnerKarl BuscemiIsolde CahillPatricia CaldwellLee E. CampbellElaine CapenScott Carlson
James and Cecilia CarravallahCarol CartwrightJeff ChantonMary Xakellis ChapmanBob ChristiansonEllen ChungLouis CinquinoJane ClarkStephanie ClarkRobert ClarkeMary ClevelandMark D. Colie
Bill CollierBasil A. and Lucy L. CollinsHugh C. ColmanCharles L. Conlon, M. D.Fred ConsortiJohn M. CoppolaPhillip CorinRobert CreaseySusan CrockerAndrew CrowleyGail CrumpKate Culver
Craig CummingsHeather CurtisJo Anna DaleAndrew DavisClarence DavisStewart DavisJanet DavisonEugene DawberPatrick DawsonAlice and Lincoln DayWilliam DeppNorman Dessel, Ph. D.
Giovanna DevenyJohn DewareSara DewittMorris and Shirley DiamondMarilyn DinklemeyerJoan DionMartin DodgeDoris DortPatricia DoughertyDonn DouglassNellie DroesJ. C. DuncanStephen DunstonHugh DurkanDavid EarlyHal H. and Patricia S. Eby
Miriam EdwardsJulie EichenbergerScott EliasPhyllis L. ElliottMargaret EllisSean and Pat EltonSusan EricksonIgnacio EstradaRonald F. and Bonnie J. EttingerHildegarde EvansRichard FarrellW. John FaustJoel FedderElizabeth and Lewis FellowsHarvey Fernbach M.D., MPH
David FerrazzaJane FikeMartha FleischmanDennis FlemingDennis N. FortinRichard FoyE. Aracclis FrancisElizabeth A. FranksRichard FreemonPatricia FriebertBarbara FudgeJohn GeilRobert A. GellerLinda GochfeldKenneth Goertz, M.D.Phyllis GoldMary GoodmanShahna N. GooneratnePatricia GordonHilda GouldZadelle Krasow GreenblattErica GreerJohn F. GrimJoyce R. GriswoldRoger L. HaleKathryn B. HamiltonHarry E. HardebeckPhyllis HardsSarah HarkinsonWalter HarrisonCarol HartmanMichelle Harvey
George Heine and Janet BarnettErik HenryJo A. HerrJohn A. HerronLeslie A. HessRichard and Beverly R. HesterNancy HeyserPaul I. HicockWilliam HigaCatherine HillenbrandHoward W. HoardBart HobijnSharlene HodgesNancy HoltAlbert Schiller Hook
Leland HopkinsCharles HovisAlice Q. HowardCarole HubbsMax E. and Jan M. HuntWilliam E. HuntGeneva HydeNigel JaquissDavid JefferyJoel JensenAndrea JohnsonBarbara JohnsonShirley T. Johnson
Oskar KaaringPhil KallasMike KappusDavid KasperekMark KeigiValerie KelleherGary KernChandler KetchumR. S. KiewitKatharine KingRobert KipperH. KitsonDonald Klenk
Stuart KlugmanJohn KoehlerEvelyn M. KoenigCharlotte KoomjohnLorraine KosstrinTracy KoyE. KrallPaul KraskaJoan KrollCharles A. KromerAlice KutzJames LambJoyce LandinghamJoe LaneNadene Lane
Mark C. LarsonJack P. LaverickBarbara I. and Christopher R. LawlessArlene LeeFranklin LeeStephen LeeEileen M. and Paul F. LefortIra S. Leibin and Carmen Urquiza-LeibinFred LeonardJess and Mary LevineSharona A. LevyKaren L. LewPaul LindseyFrank Lipman, M.D.Dennis LisoC. J. Livingston
Diane LookmanMatthew LoschenBonnie LounsburyMarlin E. LowryThomas LutgensMichael LynchJerald LyonGlenn LyonsGraham MadaraszMartin MarcusSusan and Bill MarineRobert MarshallIla Anne MaslarPhyllis MaslowLaura MasonerAnja MastGail E. MautnerJay MayerJeffrey Mayersohn
Muckrakers (continued)
Patrick McCormickCharles McGinleyWilliam R. McLeanAndrew McMichaelBarbara J. MeislinMaryann Milano-PicardiCaryle B. MillerFrances MillerEdward P. MinerTifani MootChristina MoraskiTheresa J. MorehouseSusan E. MorelliMichele MorganWilliam MorrillStacy MosherMatthew MullaneRobert MyersShirin NashLynne NathanMary J. NefedovJim NelsonPhilip NessJean G. NicholasJohn H. Noel, IIIDoris NorritoJohnson OlatundeGregory and Rebecca Ann OldaniTod A. OlsonMay O’NealJames PalmerRichard ParsonsChristine A. Paszkiet
Dorab PatelThomas T. PaukertC. PawleyTom PennyRichard PerlRosetta PervanE. Blake PetersonVijay PoduriAmanda PollackLeslie Fay PomerantzMurray PotterRichard PowellJ. PuseyJames and Margherita RaugustMargaret C. RawlinsMildred ReedWilliam ReedKatharin ReevesCharles ReyesAnna L. ReynoldsKeith RichardDorothy RiesterJan RinehartJudy RingkvistRMF FoundationStephen RobertsEddie RobinetteGail RobinsonRobert and Donna RoseBarry RosenthalCol. Joseph H. Rouse and Dolores Ann Robb
David RutherfordMarianne SalcettiMarianne SantarelliK. ScarboroughRichard J. SchichtMichele and Jay SchindlerRobert SchmidtJohn L. SchroederK. SchultzJohn Schwartz and Diane MarkrowMary ScullyMichael T. SeamanDerek SeymourPatricia ShalerJuliet K. SharrockDane ShelleyBeverly SilvaLee SilverBarbara L. SimmonsMichael L. SimpsonGary SislerT. Slavik and G. SlavikBruce C. SmithDean SousanisWilliam SteifTimothy and Visakha M. SteinMartha StephensonElizabeth and Ojars StikisChristopher A. StokesT. StoneWilliam S. Strain
George StranahanNancy StreetLaura StrongMoira C. SuterGeoffrey SwensonRichard TaberMay TakayanagiCharles TalmageGeorge H. TalmanNancy F. TaonoSarah TaylorStephen TeiglandWayne TerrellJudith L. TharpKeith Thobe
Donald ThompsonMaria ThompsonWilliam TierneyBarbara TilleyFranklin Torrence Betty TottenJoe ToyoshimaDavid TuckerJane TurnerNicholas TurnerRobert O. TylerSolveiga UngerMartin UsherRoger VaagenTom van DyckLadonna M. and Robert J. Versteeg
Richard B. WaidArlen WallumFred WalterBobbie C. WaltonJane WaltonKurt WarmbierCynthia K. WarnerKate C. WattTimothy WeilandGayle WeinbergDolores WeltyGerald WhiteWalter WhitlockJohn Whitty and Martha Baker WhittyChristin WillRose WilliamsVerna Z. Wilmeth
David Scofield WilsonCharles WiltseHelene WinebergMarilyn WinninghamLauress WiseRuss and Kath WitneyGary C. Woodward and Jan E. RobbinsRobert WorthAudrey WreszinMichael E. WrightThomas F. WrightJohn WustmanAmy YenkinGertrude YoungIra YurdinMichael Zemsky
Muckrakers (continued)
the Mary Harris Jones legacy Society
Anonymous (2) Harriet S. Barlow Gene Birmingham Joan Catherine Braun Bobby Brown John Howard Bryson Jane W. Butcher Steve and Midge Carstensen Frank H. Carter Elsie Ann ChivingtonPaul Colebrook Geneva Folsom and Lisa Folsom-ErnstCheryl Forté Martin Russell Hamelin Helen J. Honeck Marjorie Jasper Alice Lazerowitz Holger A. Lerche Elizabeth Marcus Anita Martin Gore John J. McLean Sara Meric Robert Morrison Glenn Norris Beverly and Bob Noun B.J. Novitski Sally O’Connell Nora Olgyay Hilary PerkinsGoldwina Nelson Phillips Christina Platt
Thomas E. Rosenbaum Lois Rowley Robert L. Schafer Virgil L. SwangoJudith S. Van Schaack Rose Volkman Thomas WarnerJanice WheelockDick WoodElizabeth A. Wood Marilyn Ruth Dudine Woodruff and Arthur Edson Woodruff
In 1975, Mother Jones magazine was named after Mary Harris Jones, a great American orator, organizer, hellraiser, and heroine. Mother Jones battled corporate elites and politicians, went to jail repeatedly for organizing workers, and converted tens of thousands of Americans to the labor movement. A longtime champion of laws to end child labor, she continued as a union organizer and agitator into her 90s. At the height of her influence, a strike-busting prosecutor called Mother Jones “the most dangerous woman in America.” Her fearless and passionate leadership inspires Mother Jones magazine and she is a reminder that we all have the capacity to inspire, the passion to change, and the courage to lead. The Mary Harris Jones Legacy Society honors those who have included Mother Jones in their estate plans.
2009 Board of Directors
Christina Platt Berkeley, California Co-Chair
Phil Straus Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Co-Chair
Jay Harris San Francisco, California President
Monika Bauerlein Oakland, California Vice President
Clara Jeffery San Francisco, California Vice President
Mark North Berkeley, California Treasurer
Sara Frankel New York, New York Secretary
Mac McClelland San Francisco, California Staff Representative
Daniel Schulman Washington, District of Columbia Staff Representative
Harriet Barlow Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jane Butcher Boulder, Colorado
Judith Anne Gold Chicago, Illinois
Erik Hanisch Seattle, Washington
Adam Hochschild San Francisco, California
Robert McKay San Francisco, California
Richard Melcher Glencoe, Illinois
Hope Morrissett Boulder, Colorado
Carolyn Mugar Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jon Pageler New York, New York
Susan S. Pritzker Chicago, Illinois
Paul Ryan Fairfax, California
Kevin Dunlap Simmons Chicago, Illinois
Meredith Spear Tucson, AZ
Alicia Wittink Washington, DC
Emeritus Board
Peter Barnes Marjorie Craig Benton Russell Budd Dr. Price Cobbs Geoff Cowan Ronald Dellums Christina Desser Robert Glaser Danny Goldberg Victor Gotbaum Stanley Hill Al Meyerhoff Susan Bay Nimoy Beverley Brazier Noun Sally O’Connell David Olsen Andy Patrick Thomas Peters Dame Anita Roddick Rabbi John Rosove Marlene Saritzky Chara Schreyer Steve Silberstein Jeri Smith-Fornara Julia Stasch Rose Styron John Tirman Mark Tukman Judy Wise Mike Woo
2009 Foundation for national progress Staff
Madeleine Buckingham Chief Executive Officer and President
Steven Katz Publisher
Monika Bauerlein Co-Editor
Clara Jeffery Co-Editor
Editorial
Dave Gilson Senior Editor
Mike Mechanic Senior Editor
Elizabeth Gettelman Managing Editor
Laura McClure Multimedia Editor
Kiera Butler Associate Editor
Celia Perry Research Editor
Jen Phillips Assistant Editor
Josh Harkinson Reporter
Mac McClelland Human Rights Repoter
Kevin Drum Political Blogger
Julia Whitty Environmental Correspondent
Washington DC Bureau
David Corn Bureau Chief
James Ridgeway Senior Correspondent
Daniel Schulman News Editor
Rachel Morris Articles Editor
Nick Baumann Assistant Editor
Stephanie Mencimer Reporter
Art & Production
Tim J Luddy Creative Director
Carolyn Perot Art Director
Mark Murmann Photo Editor
Claudia Smukler Production Director
MotherJones.com
Robert Wise Webmaster
Celine Nadeau Web Developer
Young Kim Web Producer
Development, Membership & Communications
Kevin Walter Associate Publisher, Membership
Richard Reynolds Communications Director
Amber Hewins Circulation Director
Laurin Asdal Director of Development
Peter Meredith Promotions Manager
Stephanie Green Development Associate
Alison Parker Membership Coordinator
Advertising
Khary Brown Integrated Advertising Director
Jeff Cosgrove Advertising Account Manager
Lisa McQueen Integrated Advertising Representative
Rose Miller Integrated Advertising Coordinator
Dylan DiSalvia Advertising Research Assistant
Administration
Myna Chiem Controller
Ed Homich Technology Director
Emma Logan Director of Human Resources
Kevin Medford Business Manager
Ross Montgomery IT Technician
Cathy Rodgers Accounting Coordinator
Samantha Schaberg Administrative Assistant
Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program 2008/2009
Brittney Andres
Steve Aquino
Sam Baldwin
Alexandra Bezdikian
Ben Buchwalter
Jessica Calefati
Michelle Chandra
Rachael DeWitt
Justin Elliott
Jesse Finfrock
Alexis Fitts
Kathleen Nye Flynn
Nikki Gloudeman
Corbin Hiar
Neha Inamdar
Andy Kroll
Daniel Luzer
Stephanie Lowe
Anna McCarthy
Cassie McGettigan
Stephen Robert Morse
Gary Moskowitz
Casey Miner
Lauren R. Rice
Sonja Sharp
Andre Sternberg
Joyce Tang
Marian Wang
Taylor Wiles
Carolyn Winter
Nichole Wong
Statement of Activities: 2008
Total Revenues & Support: $10,626,183
Total Expenses: $10,646,742
Membership $2,007,859 19%
Single issue sales $502,434 5%
List rentals $357,578 3%
Royalties $26,247 0.2%
Advertising $1,248,671 12%
Other $85,771 0.8%
Grants and Contributions $6,397,623 60%
Total program activities $8,384,399 79%
Live from Main Street $233,294 2 %
The Media Consortium $458,173 4%
MotherJones.com $748,561 7%
Journal production and distribution $1,158,897 11%
Research and Editorial $3,714,475 35%
Outreach $385,696 4%
Membership $1,685,303 16%
Total supporting services $2,262,343 21%
Development $1,306,675 12%
Advertising sales $785,435 7%
General and administrative $170,233 2%
Statement of Activities: 2009
Total Revenues & Support: $9,381,643
Total Expenses: $9,249,105
Membership $3,032,430 32%
Single issue sales $365,910 4%
List rentals $208,312 2%
Royalties $20,991 0.2%
Advertising $870,292 9%
Sponsorship $10,616 0.1%
Other $89,753 1%
Grants and Contributions $4,783,339 51%
Total program activities $7,638,171 83%
The Media Consortium $301,071 3%
MotherJones.com $517,197 6%
Journal production and distribution $1,070,563 12%
Research and Editorial $3,393,304 37%
Outreach $123,490 1%
Membership $2,232,546 24%
Total supporting services $1,610,934 21%
Development $650,386 7%
Advertising sales $641,601 7%
General and administrative $318,947 3%
2008 Revenues & expensesTotal Revenues and Support
Grants and contributions $6,397,623
Membership $2,007,859
Single issue sales $502,434
List rentals $357,578
Royalties $26,247
Advertising $1,248,671
Sponsorships $0
Other $85,771
Total support, revenue and classifications $10,626,183
Expenses
program activities:
Membership $1,685,303
Outreach $385,696
Research and editorial $3,714,475
Journal production and distribution $1,158,897
MotherJones.com $748,561
The Media Consortium $458,173
Live from Main Street $233,294
Total program activities $8,384,399
supporting services:
Development $1,306,675
Advertising sales $785,435
General and administrative $170,233
Total supporting services $2,262,343
Total expenses $10,646,742
Assets
current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $310,821
Accounts receivable $565,826
Contributions receivable $200,719
Prepaid expenses $150,501
Total current assets $1,227,867
Fixed assets (net of depreciation) $104,057
Other assets $31,037
Total assets $1,362,961
Liabilities and Net Assets
current liabilities:
Line of credit $200,000
Accounts payable $815,186
Accrued expenses $500,976
Current portion of notes payable $29,017
Current portion of deferred subscription revenue $702,078
Total current liabilites $2,247,257
Notes payable, net $110,308
Deferred rent $131,081
Deferred subscription revenue net $824,349
Total liabilities $3,312,995
net assets (deficit):
Unrestricted net assets: $(2,380,835)
Temporarily restricted $430,801
Net assets $1,950,034
Total liabilities and net assets (deficit) $(1,362,961)
Change in net assets (deficit) $(20,559)
Beginning net assets (deficit) $(1,929,475)
Ending net assets (deficit) $(1,950,034)
2009 Revenues & expensesTotal Revenues and Support
Grants and contributions $4,783,339
Membership $3,032,430
Single issue sales $365,910
List rentals $208,312
Royalties $20,991
Advertising $870,292
Sponsorships $10,616
Other $89,753
Total support, revenue and classifications $9,381,643
Expenses
program activities:
Membership $2,232,546
Outreach $123,490
Research and editorial $3,393,304
Journal production and distribution $1,070,563
MotherJones.com $517,197
The Media Consortium $301,071
Live from Main Street $0
Total program activities $7,638,171
supporting services:
Development $650,386
Advertising sales $641,601
General and administrative $318,947
Total supporting services $1,610,934
Total expenses $9,249,105
Assetscurrent assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $182,263
Accounts receivable $427,749
Contributions receivable $91,175
Prepaid expenses $122,624
Total current assets $823,811
Fixed assets (net of depreciation) $83,146
Other assets $30,085
Total assets $937,042
Liabilities and Net Assetscurrent liabilities:
Line of credit $200,000
Accounts payable $535,446
Accrued expenses $497,044
Current portion of notes payable $29,006
Current portion of deferred subscription revenue $963,303
Total current liabilities $2,224,799
Notes payable, net $68,910
Deferred rent $94,256
Deferred subscription revenue net $366,573
Total liabilities $2,754,538net assets (deficit)
Unrestricted net assets: $(2,405,404)
Temporarily restricted $587,908
Net assets $(1,817,496)
Total liabilities and net assets (deficit) $937,042
Change in net assets (deficit) $132,538
Beginning net assets (deficit) $(1,950,034)
Ending net assets (deficit) $(1,817,496)
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