One thing that hasn't changed is the mission. In fact, it still appears on the masthead of the magazine: "For the increase ..."
"... and diffusion of geographic knowledge."
How do you remain true to that mission while becoming competitive?
We talk quite a bit about whether we should change the words. They sound as if they're inscribed in marble.
Are they?
Actually, they are. They're in this building someplace, the lobby downstairs, I think. What we're talking about is, How do we make this noble notion relevant today? Geography used to be about filling in the white spaces on the maps and naming places. Now it is more about what's happening in those places and why it should matter to all of us.
Any idea how many readers collect the magazine?
I'm not sure, but it's a lot. We hear stories about this all the time. In fact, I just heard that when Gordon Giffin, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, moved back to his home in Georgia, he and his wife spent an entire day arranging their copies of National Geographic on the shelves.
Why do people hang on to them?
One reason is that the magazine is beautiful. You don't want to throw something this nice away. But that doesn't always work for us.
What do you mean?
As all of these issues of the magazine pile up, it's a constant reminder to people that maybe they haven't gotten back to look at them. And you know, how many issues can you keep?
Continue the conversation with John Fahey on our Web site (www.fastcompany.com/keyword/fahey50). Learn more about the National Geographic Society on the Web (www.nationalgeographic.com).
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