Support justice-driven, accurate and transparent news — make a quick donation to Truthout today!
Truthout is pleased to begin a weekly posting of short videos for middle school students – and everyone else – about climate change and its effects. “The Green Ninja,” a character created by a climate scientist and his team, provides an entertaining and educational way to help children grasp the intricacies of climate change and learn what they can personally do to become involved in fighting it. See additional details about the series, or head straight to this week’s episode, “What’s the Bag Deal?” wherein a couple argues over which is the best bag for grocery shopping: paper or plastic? Both appear to have their advantages and disadvantages, so what are they to do? Sensing a learning opportunity, the Green Ninja appears with a simple solution – a reusable bag! But is it really that simple?
Important Message: Please Read
For 25 years, Truthout has survived by publishing impactful investigative journalism and analysis; distributing full editions 365 days a year; and building a community of readers who support us with small, hard-earned donations.
Eighty percent of our $3 million yearly budget comes from small donors alone. Of those, 8,000 readers support us with monthly donations. Back in 2018, when Facebook decided to suppress the circulation of posts made by organizations, thereby cutting readers off from seeing many articles shared by the news organizations they had intentionally decided to follow, Truthout’s total traffic declined by 40 percent, as nearly all of our traffic from that platform disappeared.
Now, Google has recently rolled out its AI search bar, providing AI summaries instead of directing readers to our site. Google Search is our single largest source of traffic; it’s the route by which nearly one third of our readers find us. Much like in 2018, a shocking 40 percent of our Google traffic has disappeared overnight.
It will not be easy for Truthout to shoulder this blow. Nor will it be easy for our peers and collaborators — news sites that depend on traffic and aren’t bankrolled by large corporations.
If you can support Truthout with a donation today, you can help us resist the AI onslaught. Please give today.