Audubon
U.S. conservation advocacy (center-left on environmental policy)
Background
The magazine began as Bird-Lore, launched in 1899 by ornithologist Frank Chapman as the 'official organ' of the Audubon Societies. The National Association of Audubon Societies bought it in 1935. It became Audubon Magazine in 1941, after the group renamed itself the National Audubon Society in 1940, and was shortened to Audubon in 1966. The society was incorporated in 1905, and its roots go back to bird-protection campaigns of the 1880s and 1890s, including the push against the plume trade. Audubon is run by its parent group and is not independent of it, so its reporting reflects the society's conservation mission and policy goals. It has won recognition for long-form environmental journalism. In Trump's first term it was openly critical of the weakening of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and sage-grouse protections. In the second term, Audubon's site has covered the Interior Department's narrowing of the Endangered Species Act 'harm' definition, cuts to Northern Spotted Owl critical habitat, and budget proposals in critical terms. The society has also said it would work with the administration where possible on conservation. Its perspective is science-based and pro-conservation, with an advocacy tilt that readers should weigh. The society holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating.
Sources
- Audubon (magazine) – Wikipedia
- Time Flies: Celebrating 125 Years of 'Audubon' Magazine
- Trump Administration Drastically Slashes Protections for Northern Spotted Owls
- National Audubon Society Commits to Working with New Trump Administration
- Audubon Vows to Fight Trump Administration's Rollback of Bird Protections
- Charity Navigator – National Audubon Society
Profile compiled 2026-10-10; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.