Mongabay founder explains how abandoning ad revenue model unlocked greater environmental impact

In a candid interview, Rhett Butler, founder of environmental news site Mongabay, revealed how ditching advertising revenue in 2012 became the key to expanding the organization’s global conservation impact. The decision, while risky, allowed Mongabay to pursue journalism projects that traditional ad-supported models couldn’t sustain.

Butler’s pivot was inspired by his reporting experiences in Indonesia, where he recognized that environmental degradation was largely driven by corruption and mismanagement in natural resources sectors. He saw an opportunity to launch Indonesian-language environmental journalism that could increase transparency and accountability across the archipelago—something that had little coverage at the time. “I believed journalism itself could be an intervention,” Butler explained, drawing parallels to Brazil’s success in reducing deforestation while growing its economy in the mid-2000s.

The transition wasn’t without challenges. Butler admitted he had no prior experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, or philanthropic networks. His only leadership background was managing employees at a tropical fish store as a teenager. Despite these limitations, Mongabay Indonesia proved successful, demonstrating the potential for expanding this impact-focused model globally.

By moving away from advertising dependency, Mongabay gained the freedom to pursue stories and initiatives based on environmental importance rather than click-through rates. This strategic shift ultimately enabled the organization to develop a more sustainable approach to environmental journalism, prioritizing conservation impact over commercial considerations while building a foundation for international expansion.