We published the first issue of National Geographic in October 1888. The magazine looked quite different than it does now, with a plain brown cover and not a single photograph inside its 98 pages.
Clearly, a lot has changed. But two things have remained constant: We have always covered science and the environment. “Geographic Methods in Geologic Investigation,” is one headline from that first issue. “The Great Storm of March 11-14, 1888,” is another.
Well, we’re still covering storms—especially as they grow fiercer with climate change—and we’re still covering groundbreaking science, perhaps now more than ever, as the frightening coronavirus sweeps across the Earth.
National Geographic's expertise in factual, science-based global storytelling, and our authentic, on-the-ground photojournalism and reporting, is highlighted in our coverage of COVID-19. Today, we are providing that content without charge. Through this public service, you’ll find everything from authoritative pieces about the origins of this zoonotic disease, which spread from animals to humans, to practical ways for families and children to cope with the daily challenges we are all facing because of it. You can view all these stories in a designated digital hub: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/coronavirus-coverage/
The speed with which the coronavirus pandemic has entered our lives is unnerving. Despite that, across National Geographic’s platforms — whether print, digital, social, audio, or television—our staff and contributors are working hard to provide an accurate framework that can help us understand the issues, showcase documentary photography about what is happening, and offer credible, actionable information that empowers our readers to make informed choices about how to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Our ability to continue this critical public service work in times of crisis means it’s even more important that we can count on subscriptions from people like you, whether purchasing National Geographic in print or digitally, for yourself or as a gift to others, to help keep our journalism robust now and into a future that’s already here — whether we are covering stories like the upcoming 50th anniversary of Earth Day next month, or a global pandemic of unprecedented proportions. Both stories, in fact, make it clear how small our planet is, and how interlinked we are to each other.
This year, National Geographic is 132 years old. In a world with literally millions of brands competing for your time, our yellow rectangle still means what it always has: That we are on a mission to explore, to explain, and to reveal life on our planet—as it is now, and as it might be in the future.
We can’t do that without your support. Thank you for reading, and subscribing to, National Geographic. |
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