Mountain Journal, Montana Free Press and High Country News are pleased to announce the hire of reporter Nick Mott to cover the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and associated public lands, wildlife, water and rural community impact. The role is in partnership with Report for America, of which Mott will be one of 78 new corps members placed in local newsrooms across the country.
Mott will be an employee of Mountain Journal, with the newsrooms and Report for America splitting the costs of his salary as part of their new collaboration.
Mott comes to Mountain Journal as a longtime freelance journalist in the Livingston, Montana area. He’s the host and creator of the podcast The Wide Open and author of the 2023 book This Is Wildfire: How To Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat. He’s written for both High Country News and Mountain Journal in the recent past, alongside many other outlets.
“Nick is an excellent journalist with a boots-on-the-ground reporting approach that will build confidence with readers and sources across Greater Yellowstone and beyond,” said Mountain Journal Managing Editor Joseph T. O’Connor. “We work together well, and his experience collaborating with High Country News will make this a seamless and strong relationship as he comes aboard alongside Climate Reporter Juhlin Ellis, our other Report for America/Grist corps member.”
The hire marks one of the first in High Country News’ Western Environmental Reporting Collaborative, which creates a West-wide corps of environmental reporters working in local newsrooms alongside the magazine. HCN will have reporters embedded in three additional newsrooms for the inaugural year, including Arizona Luminaria, Ouray County Plaindealer and Wyoming Public Media.
Mott will report stories for Mountain Journal, which will be shared for free with a statewide and regional network of syndication partners. High Country News will also offer Mott’s stories to newsrooms across the West for free republication.
“Nick is an excellent reporter with a deep understanding for the people and community he’s reporting on,” said Gretchen King, executive editor of High Country News. “We are excited to work with him and help Montanans get the information they need to act on behalf of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”
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