High Country News - AZ Gives

WHO WE ARE

High Country News (HCN) is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit 501(c)3 media organization that covers the important issues and stories that define the Western United States. Our mission is to inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West's diverse natural and human communities.

For more than 50 years, HCN has produced incisive public-interest journalism about a region that spans 12 states and hundreds of tribal nations. We are the go-to source of reporting on the West — from small towns and rural communities to the urban populace, we cover the complex coexistence with and within sublime landscapes, scarce water resources and rich natural ecosystems.

HCN’s reporters look at the region through the eyes of its inhabitants, from Indigenous people to the West’s most recent arrivals, be they immigrant workers or urban refugees. This is a place where journalists with mud on their boots provide deep insight and analysis, and where Westerners of all backgrounds can find, and even tell, their own stories.

WHAT WE DO

HCN exists to foster a sense of community and belonging — and to share authentic insights into the region with people everywhere who care about the West. We serve a diverse audience of leaders, lawmakers, activists, academics and engaged citizens throughout the West, as well as readers across the country and an influential audience in Washington, D.C.

Our print magazine has a readership of approximately 50,000 and we reach millions through our website. We foster partnerships with hundreds of local newspapers and statewide news sites that republish our work at no cost; collaborations with national news organizations such as The New York Times, the Pulitzer Center and ProPublica; and content-sharing consortiums including the Rural News Network and Climate Desk.

For Westerners, HCN connects a community of thoughtful, engaged people who are working to build a more sustainable and just future. For policymakers and agency staffers in Washington, D.C., the publication provides an essential window into realities of life on the ground. And for folks everywhere who love the West, HCN offers unique insights into a beautiful and bedeviled region.

HOW WE DO IT

HCN’s public-interest journalism is intended to spur people into action and spark on-the-ground change. To advance our mission to “inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West’s diverse natural and human communities” we give readers a sense of agency — an understanding that, through alliance and effort, we can create a more just, equitable and sustainable future.

We believe that this powerful combination of community bonds and shared stories has the power to create lasting solutions for Western communities and landscapes. An informed public has the power to drive durable change. 

Community is at the heart of what we do here at HCN. Over 75% of our revenue comes from your donations and subscription dues, making you our biggest stakeholder. When you donate to HCN, you’re not just keeping the lights on at our grassroots organization — you are sharing insightful and fair-minded stories about the West with your neighbors, your region and your country. This is journalism with impact.

HCN’s incisive reporting is critically important now more than ever. With you at our side, we will continue to share stories that shine a spotlight on critical issues and connect people with place across the West. 

Be part of the HCN community — donate today through Arizona Gives!