One thing I'm certain of.

The past year has made it crystal clear. MoJo Reader, I don't know where to begin, or whether it's even possible to neatly encapsulate everything I'm feeling as 2017 winds down. A crazy year? Sure, but that's not strong enough. A trying year? You bet, but positive trends have emerged too. There is, however, one thing I'm certain of: And it's that 2017, and the next few years, are going to be a defining moment for the survival of investigative journalism. I don't say that lightly. But the past year has made it crystal clear that the threats to journalism aren't just economic anymore (as bad as those are). What we've been seeing, rather, is a coordinated attack on the very concept of an independent, critical accounting of facts—and there are signs that it's working. Either of these challenges would be bad enough on its own, but taken together, you can see how they render media increasingly desperate and ready to be exploited—with potentially devastating consequences for our democracy. [That's the core of why I hope you'll support Mother Jones with a tax-deductible, year-end donation as we kick off our December pledge drive—if everyone reading this gave just $5, we'd hit our goal today](. There's a lot more to say as we ask our readers to support us this month, and it's a discussion we need to have if we want to build a counterweight to disinformation and propaganda, so I also hope you'll take a few minutes to read my full argument, in my new piece, "[It's a Perfect Storm for Destroying Journalism](." There's no denying the overall climate in the news business is pretty grim, but you're part of MoJo's experiment to build a sustainable model for the type of hard-hitting reporting the moment demands. And honestly, with you on board, I like our odds. Especially if we can pull off what I hope we can this month: [hitting our stretch goal of raising $350,000 by December 31 to fund our reporting](. The only time we've raised more than that online in a month was last December, right after the election, when a lot of people realized that investigative journalism had just become more important than it had ever been in their lifetimes. We raised $371,000 then, and I'm not sure we're going to be able to nearly match that urgency this year. It's not as visceral as it was a year ago—and those emotions can be a big driver for people to decide to donate—but it's just as important now, if not more so. Because one year into the era of Trump (and there are plenty of others trying to blatantly manipulate the media), we know what their playbook looks like, and what the real dangers to our democracy are. That's what our reporters spend every day looking into. And it's why our pledge drive right now feels like the most important one since I've been here: We now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that advertising isn't going to pay for the deep investigative journalism the moment demands. But readers can, if enough of you choose to sustain the urgency and support for unflinching journalism that we felt a year ago and that 2018 requires. [I hope you will, and that you'll make a tax-deductible, year-end donation so we can reach our stretch goal of $350,000 by December 31](—any amount, [$5 or $50](, makes a difference. And if you're not quite convinced yet, please do read [my new piece](, where I unpack our model of reader-supported journalism and why this moment, December 2017, feels so critical for the survival of investigative reporting. Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is. Whether you're able to pitch in during our December pledge drive or not, it's good to know you're with us. Monika Bauerlein, Chief Executive Officer Mother Jones P.S. If you've donated in the last several hours, thanks—and please accept our apologies for sending you this friendly reminder. [DONATE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To stop receiving Mother Jones' fundraising and subscription emails, or manage your preferences for our emails, click [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [www.MotherJones.com]() 222 Sutter Street, #600 San Francisco, CA USA 94108