Over the last two decades, the American news industry has been contracting — rapidly. In 2023 alone, more than 2,700 journalism jobs were eliminated. Newspapers have closed across the country at the alarming rate of more than 2.5 per week.
In just the last year, iconic publications like The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Sports Illustrated have eliminated significant proportions of their editorial staff — and last year, National Geographic laid off every single one of its staff writers.
You may be feeling the impact of the decline of journalism in your town or city — more than half of U.S. counties have no access, or very limited access, to local news.
But did you know that the news crisis is also affecting coverage of the national parks? One of the foremost casualties of the contraction of the news industry has been coverage of areas of civic importance — including the National Park System. The National Parks Traveler is the only editorially independent news organization covering national parks and protected areas on a daily basis.
Our work fills critical gaps created by news outlets that no longer have the capacity to cover the parks as they should be covered. We’ve been cited in outlets that include USA Today, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In the face of global climate change and accelerating risks to the national parks, our work has never been more important.
But we can’t do this critical reporting without your help. We have no billionaire backers, no corporate support. The National Parks Traveler is a nonprofit news site, which means that every investigation we undertake and every story we write is funded by dedicated readers like you. Please help make this important work possible by giving a tax-deductible donation to the National Parks Traveler today. If you can, join those readers who are making recurring monthly donations to ensure the Traveler endures.
We’re so grateful for your support.
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