Finally: I get to talk about this!

Our merger with The Center for Investigative Reporting   [Mother Jones]( MoJo Reader, It’s hard to believe we did it. We actually found a way (and people!) to invest in investigative journalism that isn’t going to deliver profits or prestige for its owners, but will deliver the deeply reported journalism that people are hungry for, and that democracy literally depends on. I’m so excited, in case you missed it last week, that Mother Jones is merging with The Center for Investigative Reporting—whose [Reveal episode]( you might have heard on one of the 500-plus public radio stations it aired on over the weekend. We now have a huge radio show in the mix! I’m finally able to talk about it! Without the IF/WHENs that have been plentiful leading up to the big news. We did it! And there is going to be so much to keep you updated on as we go—here’s the [official press release]( and [our post]( talking about what it means and why it’s so awesome. “Like peanut butter and chocolate,” someone told me, very early on, when I started exploring this merger, this combination just makes sense. It’s been a lot harder squaring it all in budgets and spreadsheets, and coming up with enough funding to do this on top of everything else we’re already doing. We weren’t sure we’d be able to pull it off, and there were tons of times when I wasn’t sure it was going to happen—honestly, right into the day (and night) before we made the announcement, when the lawyers (who donated their services—thank you!) were negotiating the finer points of the contract. In full transparency, we fell close to 20 percent short of our fundraising goal for the merger, but it was enough to give it a go, knowing, like always, we’ll have to hustle. So, this is where I have to pivot back to our year-end fundraising and the $350,000 [in donations]( we needed before, and still need after, sharing [the big news]( about MoJo’s next chapter with you. Because you know what? Despite their prevalence, a [shiny announcement]( alone [does not]( actually fix or sustain journalism. That’s one of the things I love most about our announcement: MoJo and CIR have been at this for almost 50 years each—we have a track record, and we have the most important thing for sustaining journalism: You. It is still going to be [staggeringly hard]( keeping a newsroom afloat. And so far, after a very slow start to our year-end fundraising, it seems like mercifully brief and no-nonsense [donation requests]( are working best—in the spirit of peanut butter and chocolate, let’s keep doing what’s working. We still have a considerably large $260,000 [in donations]( we need to bring in over these next 13 days. That’s on the edge of what’s possible this time of year, when so many folks give in the final days and hours. And, as always, we still can’t afford to come up short on these fundraising goals. With fewer people paying attention to the news of late, we still need people like you to consider [supporting our journalism]( if there’s any way you can right now. The in-depth journalism on underreported beats and unique perspectives on the day's news you want from us is possible only because readers [fund us](. The fundamental truth is still that corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do—hard-hitting reporting that fights for democracy, justice, and the truth itself. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you. And we need you to show up for us big time right now—especially as we join forces with another storied (and threatened) nonprofit newsroom and bet that even in today’s horrible economics, investigative reporting can stay alive. If you can, [please support the journalism you get from Mother Jones with a donation at whatever amount works for you](. And please [do it now](, before moving on to whatever you're about to do next and think maybe you'll get to it later, because every gift matters and we really need to see a strong response from every single email if we're going to raise the considerable $260,000 we still need in what’s now less than, eek, two weeks. Thanks for reading, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is—and what it’s becoming. We’d love to hear what your hopes for Mother Jones + Reveal are, or what questions and concerns you might have if [you have anything to share](. Dreaming of some Reese’s cups, [Monika Bauerlein, CEO] Monika Bauerlein, CEO Mother Jones [Donate](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755