APRIL | FROM THE EDITOR
DEAR READER,
For as long as I can remember, I’ve
wanted to make a difference, to help
make the world a better place. It’s why
I became a journalist 42 years ago and
why I came to National Geographic.
This is my last letter to you as editor
in chief. I’m deeply grateful to have
spent eight years working with some
of the world’s best journalists—ded-
icated professionals who’ve received
10 National Magazine Awards, three
Pulitzer Prize finalist nominations,
two Webby Media Company of the
Year honors, and hundreds of other
accolades during my time as editor.
I’m leaving National Geographic
for the world of higher education. At
Arizona State University I’ll do what I
can to strengthen journalism during a
challenging time for the free press. And
I’ll be working with the next generation
of storytellers, who must communicate
ever more powerfully about daunting
issues like climate change.
As I’ve learned through our work
here, there’s a conundrum to covering
these issues: How can honest report-
ing on existential threats keep readers
engaged without leaving them feeling
hopeless? How can journalism on these
complex topics ignite audiences’ curi-
osity, foster deeper understanding, and
excite people about solutions? Trying
always to achieve that balance—while
creating visually rich, reportorially
deep, global journalism—has been
both as gratifying and as vexing as
anything in my professional life.
Every day at National Geographic
we track the latest in science, the envi-
ronment, and the human journey in all
its marvelous complexity. The covers
above reflect some of the most conse-
quential topics of the past eight years
(and some are also personal favorites).BY SUSAN GOLDBERGTelling Stories That Matter
A dozen covers, in order of
publication during my eight
years here, from top row
to bottom and left to right:
June 2015, December 2015,
May 2016, January 2017,
April 2018, June 2018,
September 2018, September
2019, July 2020, November
2020, January 2021, and
December 2021.As I look back, I’m proud that we’ve
explored issues such as gender and
race—and in doing so were willing to
examine publicly our own troubled
history. I’m proud that we make it our
business to celebrate the world’s won-
ders and report on what’s going right.
And I’m proud of our progress—though
far from complete—in assembling a
diverse, global corps of writers, pho-
tographers, and other journalists. Who
better to cover a fast-changing, multi-
textured world?
It’s been a true honor to work with my
gifted colleagues here. It’s been a priv-
ilege to work on National Geographic,
with its enduring legacy, and a singu-
lar opportunity to help reinvent it for
today’s audiences. Thank you for taking
that journey with me.
And thank you for reading National
Geographic. j