The secret to building a global newsroom? Lead with impact, says Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler

“We only get so much time on this planet, and I want to make the most of it.”

That sense of urgency has driven Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler since his teens, when he visited a rainforest in Borneo. Later on, he learned that what had once been a teeming ecosystem full of the sounds of orangutans and hornbills had been completely destroyed.

This experience marked a turning point that led him to establish Mongabay in 1999. “I wanted to help people see the connection between their own lives and what was happening in faraway forests, and to do it through credible information rather than advocacy,” he says. Butler envisioned Mongabay as more than a news outlet, but as a tool for protecting nature. “The idea was to make knowledge accessible and free, and to show that credible reporting could be a form of conservation in itself,” he says.

In 2025, Butler received two honors for his work at Mongabay. First, a place on the Forbes Sustainability Leaders list – which honors 50 global leaders working to combat the climate crisis, alongside figures such as naturalist David Attenborough, Brazilian environment minister Marina Silva and Kenyan climate leader Wanjira Mathai. And second, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Henry Shaw Medal, one of the oldest and most prestigious awards to recognize significant contributions to botanical research, horticulture and conservation.

However, Butler is quick to shift the spotlight away from himself. He considers personal accolades a merit of the team that propels Mongabay forward rather than his own individual effort. “Those honors came as a surprise every time, but I see them more as reflections of the incredible team of journalists, editors, and contributors who’ve made Mongabay what it is today,” he says.

For Butler, impact is Mongabay’s true metric of success. “The real reward has always been impact: when our reporting helps stop a destructive project, influences a policy, inspires someone to act, or empowers local communities,” he says. “Journalism doesn’t plant trees or prosecute illegal loggers, but it creates the conditions that make those things possible.”

In 2012, Mongabay committed to this philosophy by shifting from an advertising-based platform to a nonprofit model, prioritizing impact and collaboration over pageviews and competition. “It allowed Mongabay to scale globally while staying true to its values,” Butler says. That transition shaped Mongabay’s evolution from a one-person project to a global newsroom that today publishes in eight languages.

While Mongabay relies on support from a broad base of funders, Butler is clear about the firewall between funding and editorial. “Editorial independence is nonnegotiable. Our credibility rests on the trust readers place in our reporting, so we protect that trust at every step.” He adds, “In a world awash with misinformation and polarization, our best defense is transparency.”

Hope has also guided Mongabay’s work through a solutions journalism approach. In a field often dominated by imagery of loss, Butler believes in the power of success stories to keep readers engaged rather than pushing them away from news. “Hope, in this sense, isn’t naive optimism; it’s a discipline,” he says. This doesn’t mean distorting the truth, but presenting a more complete picture that includes the individuals charting a path forward in the face of adversity. “Whether it’s Indigenous land management that reduces deforestation, regenerative agriculture that rebuilds soil, conservation work that brings back wildlife, or local fisheries reviving depleted stocks, these examples show how creativity and persistence can push back against long odds,” says Butler.

Having celebrated Mongabay’s 25th anniversary in 2024, Butler says the next quarter-century is about strengthening impact and empowering the next generations of leaders in environmental journalism. But the core vision remains the same: “If Mongabay can play even a small role in making that future more informed, more just, and more hopeful, then the work will have been worth it.”

An interview with Rhett Ayers Butler

Mongabay: Did you ever imagine you would one day receive this level of institutional recognition when you launched Mongabay in 1999?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Not in the slightest. When I started Mongabay, I had just finished college with a degree completely unrelated to what Mongabay focused on. I was more adept with spreadsheets than with formal writing. That said, I was passionate. I had a deep love of rainforests and a growing unease about how quickly they were disappearing.

There was no grand plan, certainly not a clear one. I just wanted to share what I’d seen and learned in a way that might make people care. The first version of the site was coded by hand and maintained from my apartment. I didn’t have a good sense of the audience beyond the occasional person who emailed me, usually with questions about animals, forest data, or tropical fish. Or kids with requests for interviews for school projects.

I never imagined Mongabay would grow into a global organization, let alone that institutions like Forbes, the Field Museum, the Heinz Family Foundation, the Missouri Botanical Garden, or the BBVA Foundation would recognize our work. Those honors have come as a surprise every time, but I see them more as reflections of the incredible team of journalists, editors, and contributors who’ve made Mongabay what it is today.

The real reward has always been impact: when our reporting helps stop a destructive project, influences a policy, inspires someone to act, or empowers local communities. That’s the kind of recognition that matters most to me.

Mongabay: Why did you start Mongabay?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Mongabay grew out of a personal experience of loss. When I was a teenager, I spent time in Borneo and saw a pristine rainforest alive with sound — hornbills overhead, orangutans moving through the canopy. It was one of the most beautiful places I’d ever been. When I got home, I learned that the entire forest was slated to be cleared for paper pulp. Today it’s an oil palm plantation.

That moment left a deep mark. I realized how easily something extraordinary could disappear without the world even noticing. I also wondered what had become of the animals I’d seen. Were they able to flee to safety?

I started Mongabay to raise awareness about what was happening to tropical forests and the people and species that depend on them. I wanted to help people see the connection between their own lives and what was happening in faraway forests, and to do it through credible information rather than advocacy.

Mongabay: What problem were you trying to solve that other media outlets weren’t addressing?

Rhett Ayers Butler: In the late 1990s, coverage of environmental issues was inconsistent. Advocacy groups produced passionate but often one-sided material. Mainstream media, when it covered the environment at all, tended to focus on disasters — oil spills, fires and human suffering — without much attention to ecosystems or the broader changes driving them.

I saw an opportunity to fill that space in between: journalism that informed rather than instructed. I wanted Mongabay to provide steady, evidence-based reporting on forests and biodiversity, with enough nuance to help readers understand that environmental issues are rarely black and white.

The idea was to make knowledge accessible and free, and to show that credible reporting could be a form of conservation in itself. If you change what people know, you can sometimes change what they do.

Mongabay: In 2012, Mongabay transitioned from generating advertising revenue into a nonprofit model. Why did you make that switch, and what made you confident it could succeed?

Rhett Ayers Butler: The transition in 2012 was a turning point. At the time, the advertising model was still working, but I had ideas that went beyond what ads could support. Based on my experience reporting in Indonesia, I thought launching an Indonesian-language news service could have a real impact.

Much of the environmental degradation in Indonesia then was driven by corruption and mismanagement in the natural resources sector, and there was little environmental coverage that spanned the archipelago. I believed journalism itself could be an intervention — one that increased transparency and accountability. It reminded me of Brazil in the mid-2000s, when the country achieved major reductions in deforestation even as its economy grew, challenging the notion that protecting forests and improving livelihoods were incompatible.

Mongabay Indonesia took off, and I saw the potential for the rest of Mongabay to follow that model. But I wasn’t sure it would work. My only management experience at that point was overseeing a handful of employees at a tropical fish store (as pets, not to eat) as a teenager. I had no background in fundraising, no experience running a nonprofit, no philanthropic network, and no connections to wealth. So the decision wasn’t without risk. Still, advertising was strong enough that it didn’t feel reckless.

I fundamentally believed that credible, fact-based journalism was a public good, and that there were people and institutions willing to support it. That hunch proved right. Eventually, I donated all the news articles to the nonprofit and dropped advertising from the site entirely.

The nonprofit model required a different mindset. Advertising rewards traffic, not impact. It pushes you to chase clicks rather than dig into complex stories that might reach fewer readers but matter more.

The new model let Mongabay focus on impact over pageviews and collaboration over competition. We began releasing stories under Creative Commons so other outlets could republish them freely, which helped our journalism reach policymakers, community leaders and audiences we’d never have reached otherwise. It allowed Mongabay to scale globally while staying true to its values.

Mongabay: How do you define impact in the context of Mongabay’s work, and how do you measure it?

Rhett Ayers Butler: For us, impact means making a difference in how people think, decide and act. Journalism doesn’t plant trees or prosecute illegal loggers, but it creates the conditions that make those things possible. Our job is to bring credible information into the public domain so that others can use it to drive change.

We measure impact in several ways. Quantitatively, we look at reach — how widely our work is read, shared and republished by other outlets. The more meaningful measures are qualitative. Did our reporting spark an investigation, influence a policy or amplify a community’s voice? Did it expose a hidden problem or highlight a viable solution?

We track those outcomes through a mix of internal monitoring and feedback from readers, partners, and contributors. One of my favorite findings came from an evaluation showing that nearly three-quarters of the stories Mongabay funds would not have been written otherwise. That tells me we’re filling real information gaps.

Impact is rarely linear, but it’s cumulative. Over time, good information changes what people believe is possible.

Mongabay: What are some of your proudest moments of impact over the past 26 years?

Rhett Ayers Butler: There are moments that stand out. One was in Gabon, where our reporting on a logging concession threatening a community’s ancestral forest caught the attention of the environment minister. After the story ran, he visited the site, revoked the company’s permit, and designated the forest for protection.

Another was in the Peruvian Amazon, where we exposed illegal deforestation by a company called United Cacao. That investigation, supported by satellite data and partners, ultimately led to the firm being delisted from the London Stock Exchange.

The biggest impacts, though, are usually not single stories or investigations. They’re the systems we’ve built — the capacity for frontline reporting that’s trusted at every level. A few years ago, two Indigenous women from Venezuela told one of my colleagues that Mongabay was the only news outlet they trusted to tell their stories accurately and respectfully. They didn’t know he worked for Mongabay when they said it.

Our paid fellowship program, launched in 2022, is another example of that foundation. It helps train and support journalists from biodiversity-rich regions, strengthening the skills that support local storytelling where it’s needed most.

Mongabay: Mongabay now publishes in numerous languages and works with more than 120 staff and over 1,100 journalists in some 85 countries. What have you learned from building that global network?

Rhett Ayers Butler: I’ve learned that the best journalism often comes from people rooted in the places they cover. Building a global network has shown me how powerful local perspective can be. Our correspondents understand the nuances of their own landscapes in ways that outsiders often don’t. They know the history, the language and the stakes. That local grounding, combined with a global platform, is what gives Mongabay its strength. It further enables us to use bottom-up reporting to tell broader stories, using local anecdotes to add specific examples for worldwide trends.

It’s also taught me a lot about humility and trust. Running a decentralized organization across so many cultures and time zones requires letting go of control and empowering others to lead. We’ve built Mongabay to be a platform rather than a hierarchy — a space where journalists can do their best work with support, safety and autonomy as best as we can provide it.

Finally, I’ve learned that curiosity travels well. Whether someone is reporting from the Amazon, the Congo Basin or a fishing village in the Philippines, the impulse is the same: to understand and to explain. That shared purpose binds us together. It’s what keeps Mongabay growing — and grounded — at the same time.

Mongabay: You’ve been clear that Mongabay reporting focuses not only on the problems facing our environment, but also the solutions. What draws you to success stories?

Rhett Ayers Butler: I’ve always believed that journalism has the power to show what’s possible as well as what’s wrong. The environmental field is saturated with images of loss — burned forests, bleached reefs, vanishing species. Those stories matter, but if all we do is catalog problems and decline, people start to tune out. Fear can alert us, but it rarely sustains engagement.

Over the past several years, we’ve put a strong emphasis on solutions journalism. What draws me to success stories is that they can restore a feeling of agency — they remind people that change isn’t abstract; it’s already happening in communities around the world. Whether it’s Indigenous land management that reduces deforestation, regenerative agriculture that rebuilds soil, conservation work that brings back wildlife, or local fisheries reviving depleted stocks, these examples show how creativity and persistence can push back against long odds.

Hope, in this sense, isn’t naive optimism; it’s a discipline. It takes evidence and accountability. Highlighting solutions doesn’t mean softening the truth — it means showing the full picture, including the people who are finding ways forward amid immense challenges. Those stories remind us that decline isn’t inevitable, and that our choices still matter.

Mongabay: What does leadership look like at Mongabay, and how is it evolving?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Leadership at Mongabay has never been about hierarchy, it’s about providing support to help people succeed. From the beginning, I wanted to build an organization that distributed rather than centralized decision-making. Our bureaus in Indonesia, Latin America, India and elsewhere operate with substantial autonomy because they know their contexts best. That trust has been fundamental to our success.

As we’ve grown, leadership has become more distributed and collaborative. My role has evolved from being the person who wrote, edited and published every story to someone who focuses on enabling others: creating the systems, culture and resources that allow great journalism to thrive.

The kind of leadership we need now is adaptive — able to respond to a fast-changing media landscape, to threats against press freedom, and to the growing risks faced by journalists in the field. It’s about listening as much as directing, learning from our teams on the ground and ensuring that our structure supports rather than stifles the creativity that drives impact.

Mongabay: What kind of organizational culture have you tried to build at Mongabay, and how does it influence the way the team works?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Culture is the invisible architecture of any organization. At Mongabay, I’ve tried to cultivate a culture that balances rigor with compassion, a space where high standards coexist with respect and humility.

We’ve always valued curiosity, collaboration and integrity. Journalists need the freedom to pursue stories wherever the evidence leads, but they also need support systems that keep them safe — physically and emotionally. Many of our reporters work in high-risk regions, often under pressure. So we emphasize empathy, flexibility and open communication.

I’ve also tried to model a “no-blame” culture. Mistakes happen in fast-moving environments; what matters is how we learn from them. We encourage iteration: try, refine, improve. That mindset keeps us agile and honest.

Ultimately, the culture we’ve built enables a kind of boldness. People at Mongabay know they can take thoughtful risks in pursuit of truth because the organization stands behind them. That trust shows up directly in the quality and depth of our journalism.

Mongabay: How do your writers and editors maintain editorial independence and steer clear of influence from funder agendas?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Editorial independence is nonnegotiable. Our credibility rests on the trust readers place in our reporting, so we protect that trust at every step. I’ll admit, I still bristle a bit when someone on social media claims Mongabay must be influenced by its funders.

We safeguard our independence both structurally and culturally. Structurally, we maintain a strict separation between fundraising and editorial operations. Funders have no say in what stories we run, who we interview or how we frame a story. Grant agreements include clear language affirming that independence. Culturally, we reinforce it every day — through our editorial review processes, internal discussions, and the simple but powerful act of saying “no” when influence is implied.

It also helps that our funding is highly diversified. No single donor represents more than a small fraction of our annual budget. That mix allows us to turn down money that might compromise our integrity, or even appears to do so. As I’ve said before, independence is what makes our journalism worth doing. Without it, everything else falls apart.

Mongabay: Mongabay’s work is made possible by a diverse community of supporters, from major funders to individual readers. How important is this broad base of support for the organization’s future?

Rhett Ayers Butler: It’s absolutely essential. A broad base of support is what keeps Mongabay independent and resilient. Large institutional funders let us take on ambitious, long-term projects: investigations that span months or years, or programs that help journalists in biodiversity hotspots gain experience and develop specialized skills.

But contributions from individual readers, whatever the size, matter just as much. They signal public belief in what we do.

That range of backing also gives us room to experiment. We can test new approaches — data journalism, or new ways to reach rural audiences — without leaning too heavily on any one funder. And if a major donor shifts focus, our work carries on.

At a time when many media outlets are shrinking or consolidating, having a broad, values-aligned community around us is what keeps us steady. It’s more than financial support: it’s a kind of shared ownership in the mission to make accurate, fact-based information available to everyone.

Mongabay: How does Mongabay remain relevant and trustworthy in this era of disinformation?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Trust is built slowly and lost quickly. In a world awash with misinformation and polarization, our best defense is transparency. We show our work — linking to original studies, citing data sources and explaining how we know what we know. Readers should be able to trace our reporting back to the evidence.

We also stay relevant by meeting audiences where they are. That means experimenting with formats that reach people who might not read traditional articles. But the substance stays the same: careful reporting, multiple sources, and fact-checking that holds up under scrutiny.

Perhaps most importantly, we stay human. We often work with journalists who live in the communities they cover. That proximity builds accountability both ways: readers can see themselves in the stories, and reporters feel directly responsible to their audiences.

At its core, relevance comes from listening. We listen to our readers, our contributors and the people whose lives are most affected by environmental change. Trust follows when you listen carefully, report honestly and admit when you’re wrong. That’s how we’ve stayed credible for more than two decades and how we plan to stay that way in the years ahead.

Mongabay: Mongabay celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. What excites you most about Mongabay’s direction in the next 25 years?

Rhett Ayers Butler: What excites me most is that Mongabay’s potential still feels largely untapped. While we average more than 5 million visitors a month, most people I meet have still never heard of us. We’ve built a global network of journalists who bring extraordinary depth and local insight to their reporting, yet there are still vast regions and topics where independent environmental journalism barely exists. Expanding that coverage is a major focus for the years ahead.

I’m also excited about how we’re connecting storytelling with data. Our new data journalism initiatives, like the Mongabay Data Studio, are helping us link investigative reporting to primary data sets — from satellite imagery to biodiversity monitoring. That mix of science and storytelling is powerful. It makes invisible trends visible and gives policymakers, researchers and the public tools to act.

But more than anything, I’m energized by the next generation of journalists. Through our fellowship programs, we’re seeing remarkable young reporters — many from biodiversity-rich regions — emerge as powerful voices in their own right. If Mongabay’s first 25 years were about building credibility and reach, the next 25 will be about deepening impact and helping others lead.

Mongabay: How do you see Mongabay continuing to evolve and stay true to its independent model while navigating a dynamic media landscape?

Rhett Ayers Butler: The media landscape is changing faster than ever, with new platforms, shifting algorithms and an attention economy that rewards speed over substance and outrage over nuance. The challenge is to adapt without losing our compass. For us, that means staying grounded in our core values: accuracy, fairness, independence and reverence.

Our nonprofit structure helps. Because we’re not beholden to advertisers or shareholders, we can prioritize impact over traffic and collaboration over competition. That independence has been central to our identity, and we guard it carefully.

For us, evolution doesn’t mean chasing trends. It means experimenting thoughtfully—testing new storytelling formats, strengthening partnerships, and developing technologies that expand our reach—but in service of the same mission: delivering trustworthy, evidence-based journalism that informs and empowers. If we stay true to that purpose, I think we’ll remain relevant regardless of how the media ecosystem evolves.

Mongabay: How is Mongabay embracing technological change to foster innovation?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Technology is transforming journalism, and we see that as an opportunity rather than a threat. We’re using it to expand access, speed up reporting, and strengthen the credibility of our work.

For instance, we’ve integrated data analysis, remote sensing and AI-assisted tools into our investigative work. Satellite data helps us track deforestation or mining in near real time, and we’re using machine learning to spot environmental patterns before they escalate.

At the same time, we’re mindful that technology is only as effective as the people behind it. Innovation at Mongabay isn’t about replacing journalists; it’s about equipping them. We’re developing training programs to help reporters use these tools responsibly and creatively. In that sense, technology extends our reach and analytical capacity, but our humanity stays at the center of everything we do.

Mongabay: Given the urgent and often overwhelming nature of conservation work, where do you find hope and motivation?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Hope, for me, isn’t passive; it’s a working method. I find motivation in the people and stories that prove change is still possible. I’ve met Indigenous leaders who’ve protected vast tracts of forest against incredible odds, scientists developing solutions once thought impossible, and young reporters risking their safety to expose wrongdoing because they believe truth still matters.

At Mongabay, we try to reflect that same spirit. We report on the crises, yes, but also on the creativity they inspire. Every story about a mangrove restoration, a successful community forest initiative, or a species that has rebounded from the brink of extinction is a reminder that progress isn’t a fantasy.

Personally, I draw strength from spending time in nature. Getting outside — whether in the redwoods near home or on a coral reef in Indonesia — reconnects me with why this work matters. It’s a way of remembering that while the challenges are vast, the world we’re trying to protect is still astonishingly beautiful.

Mongabay: What drives you?

Rhett Ayers Butler: I’ve always felt like there’s a clock ticking. We only get so much time on this planet, and I want to make the most of it. There’s a lot I still want to do, and that sense of urgency has shaped how I think and work.

What really keeps me going, though, is seeing the impact journalism can have — how it can expose problems, but also point toward solutions. When good reporting helps people make better decisions, protect a place they care about, or simply see the world more clearly, that’s what motivates me.

Mongabay: Beyond the milestones and successes, are there any decisions or moments you would approach differently in hindsight?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Plenty. Growth rarely happens in a straight line. I’ve often tried to do too much myself instead of asking for help or building systems sooner.

There were strategic decisions that, looking back, could have been better timed: expansions that stretched us thin, or projects where we hired the wrong partners. But I also recognize that much of what Mongabay became grew out of those imperfect choices. We learned by doing, and sometimes by failing.

If there’s one thing I’d tell my younger self, it’s to be patient. Change, whether in conservation or in building an organization, takes time. Impact compounds slowly. What matters is staying consistent, learning from missteps, and keeping the mission in focus.

Mongabay: What advice would you give to someone following in your footsteps?

Rhett Ayers Butler: Start small, stay curious, and don’t wait for perfect conditions. If you see a gap or an opportunity, begin with what you have. Most meaningful projects start that way.

Be guided by impact, not attention. In my field specifically, success isn’t measured by clicks or followers but by the difference your work makes in the real world. More broadly, surround yourself with people who share your values but challenge your assumptions. Listen more than you speak.

And most of all, cultivate resilience. This work will test your patience, your confidence, and sometimes your faith in progress. But persistence matters more than brilliance. Keep showing up, even when the results aren’t immediate. That’s how lasting change often happens: quietly, over time.

Mongabay: From here, what message do you want to leave with Mongabay readers, listeners, and supporters at this milestone moment?

Rhett Ayers Butler: First, gratitude. None of this would be possible without our readers, contributors and supporters. You’ve made Mongabay what it is.

Second, a reminder: journalism alone can’t solve the environmental crisis, but it can help make solutions possible. Credible information is the foundation on which good decisions are built. By supporting that work, you’re investing in the conditions that allow change to take root.

Finally, don’t underestimate your agency. Whether you’re a policymaker, a student, a funder or simply a reader who cares, your attention and your choices matter. The next 25 years will define so much about our shared future. If Mongabay can play even a small role in making that future more informed, more just and more hopeful, then the work will have been worth it.

Banner image: Rhett Butler in the Singapore Botanical Garden in 2023. Image by Alyson Blume. 

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