The Mountain Journal board of directors announced last week plans to hire conservation titan Mike Clark as interim executive director to evaluate MoJo and determine next steps. Clark and Managing Editor Joseph T. O'Connor are building a content strategy with plans to begin releasing new content the week of Oct. 2. Photo by Jeff Vanuga
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Mountain Journal board of directors recently hired Mike Clark as its interim executive director to evaluate the platform and build our support network. Below, Clark and Managing Editor Joseph T. O'Connor pen a letter to readers and supporters with plans to publish new content covering our wild landscapes beginning this month.
Dear readers and supporters,
For the last six years, Mountain Journal has been
a beacon in Greater Yellowstone, shining a light on the issues surrounding
America’s first national park. Its many readers owe a great deal of gratitude
to MoJo founder Todd Wilkinson for his vision and relentless pursuit of
truth in the face of the shifting landscape we call the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem. Now that he is moving on to other opportunities, the editorial staff
has taken a hard look at where we are as a publication and possibilities for
the future.
We’ve received hundreds of comments from you,
our loyal readers, that you believe in our mission and want us to continue the
pursuit of truth in our publication. One such letter, from Dr. Robert Kohut, emeritus faculty member from the
esteemed Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University, speaks to the
dedication and passion you all bring to the table.
“I have
been with MoJo since its inception,” Dr. Kohut wrote on Sept. 23.
“[During] that period MoJo has been a voice of sanity and reality with
regard to protecting the ecological, cultural and sociological elements of the
GYE … The future integrity of
[Greater Yellowstone] needs all the support that can be mustered.”
We appreciate the
outpouring of support and have decided that the mission of the journal is too
important to let it languish. Our mission is to bring back MoJo,
expanding our coverage, diversifying our voice, and providing more ways to
access our work by adding new contributors, short-form articles, video and a
new look to our long-form, investigative work. Success is not guaranteed, but
we are dedicated to the mission. Keep an eye out, starting this week, for fresh content as we begin launching new articles and stories from across the region. In the coming weeks, as we ascertain the
financial viability of Mountain Journal, your feedback and support are
vital. Our doors are open, yet time is of the essence.
Together, we can make this happen. Let’s find our MoJo.
