The Conversation - Explaining what no one else can

Dear Reader,

At The Conversation, our newsroom doesn’t cover breaking news the way most publications do. Rather, we explain events, providing vital context, nuance and evidence-based analysis to the news that shapes our lives, in a way that only researchers who have studied an issue their entire lives can.

And as managing editor, I have the delightful privilege of guiding this team of talented editors who collaborate with the scholars to produce urgent, insightful, curious and powerful stories every single day. That’s why so many readers from every part of the country come to us.  If you look at our biggest stories of 2024, they bear this out.

Our most-read story looked at what it is that drives so many Americans to support Donald Trump, so much so that they helped him secure his second term in the White House. The story, which explores five things to understand about Trump voters, was written by an anthropologist of peace and conflict who has studied the “Trumpiverse” for the past decade. The piece has been read about 2 million times so far (and we should note that the same anthropologist also turned his keen eye on Harris’ supporters).

Other stories that really resonated with readers in 2024 followed a similar vein of diving deep into an issue – whether it be about the meaning of a genetic match, reducing dementia risk or lessons from ancient civilizations about keeping homes cool – and exploring it with an engaging clarity. Moreover, each was written by an expert in the subject and edited by one of our incredible journalists, all of whom have been covering their beats for much of their career. You don’t get that anywhere else. 

We’ve compiled seven of these great stories into a downloadable e-book, which we’ll send to everyone who supports us before year’s end. And in addition, right now, our board is matching $75,000 in donations, so your gift will go twice as far.

The unique reliance on expertise is what makes our work so important, especially at a time when mis- and disinformation are rampant. Journalism you can trust − based on evidence and facts, not opinion − is needed more than ever. 

I’ve been here since Day 1 and watched The Conversation grow from a few scrappy editors in a university basement to a thriving virtual newsroom with staff spread across the country. This wouldn’t have been possible with the help of our generous readers. Your support enables us to bring insightful stories to your inbox every day. 

With thanks,

PS: We know you’re not supporting us for the gifts, but we do have some goodies to share. In addition to the new e-book with our biggest hits, we’re giving away two e-books − one on wisdom from ancient texts and one on the future of work − as a way of saying thank you. If you make a major gift of $1,000, then we’ll be sending you the latest book in the Critical Conversations series − on work − published by Johns Hopkins, as a thank you!

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