Conference Presentation, Panel
National Geographic Society - Storytelling as an Agent of Change: Talks at GS Session Highlights
- Goldman Sachs and National Geographic have maintained a partnership for approximately a decade, highlighted by the recent 10-year anniversary of their "Eden at the End of the World" documentary on Patagonia.
- Susan Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Magazine and News, outlined a five-principle framework for the organization's storytelling:
- Stories must "make a difference" by addressing critical issues, exemplified by continued digital coverage of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone after major US newspapers dropped the story.
- The organization executes projects others cannot, such as the PhotoArk, a 25-year initiative by photographer Joel Sartori to document 12,000 species before an estimated 50% extinction rate by 2100.
- National Geographic actively drives the conversation via real-time digital reaction and print media, such as the November "Cool It" cover preceding global climate talks.
- The organization balances urgent online reporting with deep-dive print analysis, demonstrated by the immediate online coverage followed by a months-later detailed report on a new discovery in the Honduran rainforest.
- Content remains rooted in core themes of nature and human origins, with the October issue featuring Lee Berger's discovery of human origins projected as the second-best-selling story of the year.
- Dr. Enric Sala, Explorer in Residence and Director of the Pristine Seas Project, presented data on ocean degradation and conservation strategy:
- Environmental baselines shift over time; for example, the Mediterranean now appears empty compared to historical standards, with 90% of large predators lost in the last century.
- Specific depletion rates cited include 99% of sharks in the Mediterranean and the annual influx of 8 million tons of plastic into the ocean.
- Climate change is accelerating the transition of coral reefs into "ghost reefs" dominated by seaweed and microbes.
- The Pristine Seas project identified the Line Islands (US/Kiribati) as a time-capsule ecosystem, contrasting sharply with degraded global waters and proving that top predators can thrive in intact environments.
- The initiative combines scientific data with emotional storytelling to influence policy, resulting in seven protected marine areas to date.
- A new protected zone in Chile was established the week prior, covering 300,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Italy.
- The project aims to protect 20 of the world's wildest marine locations within the next three years, explicitly intending to "put itself out of business" upon achieving this goal.
- Marcus Bleasdale, documentary photographer, detailed the intersection of photography, activism, and conflict economics:
- His work in the Democratic Republic of Congo focuses on the "3T" minerals (tantalum, tin, tungsten) essential to consumer electronics, including smartphones and cameras.
- Illegal mining operations fund conflicts, generating an estimated $150 million annually that finances weapons, child soldiers, and sexual violence.
- Approximately 30,000 children under age 16 are currently fighting in eastern Congo, with many forced to work in mines during lulls in combat.
- The conflict has displaced two million people and created disease-ridden refugee camps, contributing to one of the world's highest under-five mortality rates.
- Bleasdale leverages imagery to pressure multinational electronics manufacturers into cleaning up supply chains and eradicating conflict minerals.
- Panelists agreed on the power of photography to effect policy change and inspire action:
- Inspiration is derived specifically from tangible policy wins, such as influencing a leader to alter climate models or a corporation to reform supply chains.
- Photography serves as a universal language that transcends barriers, as demonstrated by its impact during the Vietnam War and the Syrian crisis.
- Conservationists aim to show leaders both the "obituary" of current destruction and a visualized "future scenario" to motivate protective action.
- When asked what single change they would enact with a "magic wand" to achieve their goals:
- Susan Goldberg expressed a desire to unite all leaders in Paris for a climate agreement to take bold, significant action.
- Dr. Enric Sala called for a shift in how governments and citizens view the migration crisis, advocating for integration rather than exclusionary policies.
- Marcus Bleasdale prioritized increasing engagement among young people regarding sustainability, climate change, and species preservation.