April 13, 2016

Here’s How to Apologize to a Smart 20-Year-Old

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According to a bit of research from the Ohio State University, the best apologies contain two elements:

  • Acknowledgment of responsibility
  • Offer of repair

That’s it. It’s also nice—but not really necessary—to express regret, explain how you screwed up, and say you’re sorry. Asking for forgiveness can be tossed in the ash can. Nobody cares.

This is good to know. However, it’s also good to know that this is your typical SocSci study, conducted with some folks online and then repeated with a bunch of undergrads. So this is basically a study of what kind of apology your typical high-IQ 20-year-old appreciates most. Whether this says anything about the rest of us I couldn’t say.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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