Help us reach our $400,000 year-end goal

Dear Mother Jones Reader, 

If you haven’t seen it yet, I wanted to let you know about a scoop we published last week that revealed some ugly truths both about the state of America’s national security apparatus and about a new front in the war on the independent press.

A while back, my Mother Jones colleague Daniel Friedman began investigating a story about a Pentagon official whose email was linked to online pornography. Immediately after Dan contacted the Pentagon, he received an email from the far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec (infamous for popularizing the Pizzagate conspiracy theory), who claimed to be writing a story about Dan’s personal life and asked a series of intrusive, falsehood-filled questions. Given the timing, the subject of the questions, and several other factors, it certainly seemed to be an attempt to dissuade us from publishing the story.

Posobiec and the Pentagon denied coordinating, but this episode comes amid escalating attacks on the press by the Trump administration, which has sidelined mainstream reporters from Defense Department coverage and created a media “Hall of Shame” targeting reporters.

The Center for Investigative Reporting will not be intimidated. We published both the results of our investigation and the threats we received. As our editor in chief, Clara Jeffery, says:

Smearing journalists who report the truth is a common tactic among authoritarian governments and propagandists around the world. And it’s the kind of thing the Nixon administration attempted and that wasn’t revealed until decades later.

We don’t know yet whether other journalists have been intimidated in this fashion, but we felt it was important to warn the public, and our colleagues, about what we experienced. The Pentagon may try to ban independent journalists from its halls, but we must hold public officials to account. They work for us.

Let me say it directly: It’s only the steadfast support of our readers that enables our newsroom to stand up for the truth—and to push back when those in power try to bully or silence journalists. Everyone here is grateful for all the ways you make our fearless reporting possible.

Here’s how you can make sure we can keep doing this work: This week only, a generous Mother Jones donor is matching every gift dollar-for-dollar through Friday to help us hit our year-end goal of $400,000. I hope you’ll make your most generous gift right now—when it will go twice as far.

Intimidation tactics don’t work when readers like you have our backs.

Right now: Every gift DOUBLED through December 19.

Your support lets us take risks that advertiser-funded media can’t. Corporate media outlets are caving to political and economic pressures. And when the press gets intimidated into playing it safe, it means fear wins. It means autocracy can prevail.

Mother Jones doesn’t back down. We can pursue wrongdoing and abuses of power without fear that a billionaire owner or business department will tell us to cool it. That independence only exists because of readers like you. The power of the people beats intimidation every time.

We know our year-end goal is ambitious. But if five decades of fearless journalism have taught us anything, it’s that when the stakes are high, our community rises to meet the moment.

That’s why your gift before midnight Friday is so critical. The generous match means your impact goes twice as far—enabling our newsroom to stand up for the truth and to push back when those in power attempt to bully or silence independent journalists.

Any threat to the press is a threat to democracy. When journalists are silenced, the public loses its right to know. Don’t let independent media go silent. Make your matched gift today.

With deep gratitude,

Monika Bauerlein, CEO
Mother Jones

P.S. Your chance to double your impact ends Friday, so please don’t delay.