Mother Jones

Independent Journalism at Its Best

Social Video & Awards

Four months in, 2026 has already eclipsed all of 2025.

In just over four months, Mother Jones' social video content has already surpassed Mother Jones' total video views for all of 2025 — 66.9 million views so far, compared to 66.7 million for all of 2025. That represents five times Mother Jones' number of views in the same period last year. Mother Jones has added 213,000 new followers in 2026 alone, a new follower every single minute.

These numbers represent real people — often younger, more diverse audiences who haven't traditionally engaged with legacy journalism — finding reliable, trustworthy information on Mother Jones' feeds.

66.9M
Video views in 2026
vs. same period 2025
213K
New followers in 2026

Some recent examples

  • Tennessee redistricting crisis

    May 5–7 · anchored by Garrison

    Three days of coverage across 18 posts on six platforms generated 4.3 million video views and 6.1 million impressions, including 522,000 views on YouTube.

  • Virginia's voting-rights win

    May 14 · Ari Berman and Anna Yeo

    990,000 video views across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

  • Chief Justice Roberts and Louisiana v. Callais

    May 8 · Ari Berman and Anna Yeo

    780,000 video views across platforms, with 660,000 on YouTube alone.

  • The MAGA press corps

    April 10 · Anna Merlan and Rachel de Leon

    1.16 million video views across five platforms, including 803,000 on Instagram.

  • The Roundup investigation

    April 27 · Nate Halverson, Sam Van Pykeren, and Peter Berger

    Nearly 500,000 video views, 4.0 million impressions, and 105,000 engagements — anchored by a single post on X that reached 3.4 million impressions. This one really demonstrates that deep investigative reporting, not just breaking news, can drive massive social engagement.

Recognition

Now for the awards.

Since April, the team has been showered with nominations and wins across some of the most prestigious awards in journalism. Here's a roundup:

News & Documentary Emmy Nomination

"Gutted," the documentary Mother Jones produced with Fault Lines based on Hannah Levintova's investigation of a private equity firm that's buying up and gutting hospitals, was nominated for Outstanding Business, Consumer or Economic Coverage at the 47th News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

European Press Prize Finalist

The Surveillance Empire That Tracked World Leaders, a Vatican Enemy, and Maybe You, Mother Jones' investigation in partnership with Lighthouse Reports, is a finalist in the Investigative Category at the European Press Prize 2026.

Two Webby Awards

Mother Jones and Reveal each took home a People's Voice win:

  • Podcasts: Documentary — Reveal (Mother Jones nominated the full show feed and highlighted episodes including The Landlord Gutting America's Hospitals and the duPont-winning Kids Under Fire in Gaza).
  • Social: News & PoliticsMother Jones on the Minneapolis Frontlines, Mother Jones' coverage of ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities, featuring 31 YouTube videos that drove Mother Jones' highest-ever monthly video views (26M+).

Livingston Awards

Nadia Hamdan was named a finalist for the 2026 Livingston Awards — honoring the best reporting by young journalists — for the Reveal episode "The Gaza Flotilla Story You Didn't Hear".

American Illustration

Doug Chayka's illustration for Mother Jones' America 250 coverage was selected for inclusion in the prestigious American Illustration book.

James Beard Media Award Nominations

"Immigrants on the Line" received two nominations at the 2026 James Beard Media Awards — one for the written feature (in partnership with FERN) and one for the companion Reveal podcast episode.

IRE Award — Best Crime Reporting

Reveal's Goon Squad investigation, with Mississippi Today and the New York Times, exposing years of brutality by the Rankin County sheriff's department, won IRE's "Best Crime Reporting" award.

Six Telly Awards

CIR won in every category Mother Jones entered in this international prize honoring excellence in video and television across all screens, taking home six trophies:

  • (Silver) Series, Creator & Host: Garrison Hayes: Faith, Fear, and the Fight for Belonging (the third Webby for Garrison!)
  • (Silver) Video Journalism: Gaza Aid Whistleblower Speaks Out Amid Escalating Famine (with France 24)
  • (Silver) Video Journalism: The Curious Case of Kash Patel's $25,000
  • (Silver) Documentary (Short Form): This Secret Tech Tracked World Leaders, a Vatican Enemy, and Maybe You
  • (Bronze) Series, News & Information: Mother Jones on the Minneapolis Frontlines
  • (Bronze) Series, Social Impact: My Health Care Costs Are Spiraling — Help! (part of Chris Vazquez' health cost series)

National Association of Black Journalists Award Nomination

Finally, "More to the Story" was nominated in the Podcast: Commentary and Discussion category for "Being Black in America Almost Killed Me, Part 1", a powerful conversation between Al and Pulitzer-winning journalist Trymaine Lee.