National

Geographic
Society
~ A Situational
Analysis ~ Group
Members:
Aditi 030298
Verma 5
Andrew 030449
Jaden 0
Eleanor- 030442
Jacinta 0
ational Geographic Socie
Aim is to inspire people to care about their planet.
Areas of interest are geography, archaeology, natural
science along with the promotion of environmental and
historical conservation as well as the study of world
culture and history.
Got a variety of magazines, documentaries, videos, one
channel and one expanding website.
One of the largest, non-profit scientific and
educational institution in the world.
 BRIEF BACKGROUND
NGS Founded: January 13, 1888,
Washington D.C.
By group of eminent citizens who
wished to promote geographic
research as well as the popular
distribution of the results of such
research.
Gardiner Greene Hubbard First
Society President.
 The NGS began with publishing magazines and
its first issue titledNational Geographicappeared
in October and was sent to 200 charter members.
It was published occasionally until monthly
publication began in January 1896.
In 1897, Alexander Graham Bell took the helm.
He wanted Changes: In editorial policy to make
popular, and a full-time editor required.
In 1899, Gilbert H. Grosvenor accepted the
editorship offer from Bell.
Changes by Grosvenor:
Stylistic changes for the magazine,
including eliminating academic jargon,
keeping sentences short and punchy,
replacing scholarly formality and
detachment with engaging first-person
narrative, and most significantly,
introducing photographs, gaining
11,000 regular subscribers by 1906.
 NGS also began its sponsorship of high-
profile exploratory, archaeological, and
naturalistic expeditions, for example It
contributed $1,000 to the Arctic expedition led
by Commander Robert E. Peary in 1906 who
then became the first documented explorer to
reach the North Pole in 1909.
By the mid-1990s, the Society had sold more
than four million home videos. It later signed
an agreement with cable station WTBS to
produce a weekly documentary
series,National Geographic Explorer.
Entering 21st Century: Three magazines,
programs for television and home video, an
 National Geographic Channel:
Launched in 1997 (UK,EU and
AUS)
2001 - US joint with Fox Cable
Networks
Then National Geographic
Channel HD was launched in US
January 2006.
Come a long way since 1888
 NatGeo 1st Issue Text orientated, articles written in
dry, academic style and no illustration.
Alexander Graham Bell needed a change in the
editorial policy.
These changes influenced by economic and social
factors : to improve the bad financial situation and to
up its popularity in society.
Articles were made readable without losing
educational value
Photographs were introduced into the magazine.

Used for Impact they can give

Began the era of photojournalism

 Great Depression
Move towards television due to decreased readership
(economic factor)
Signing with WTBS
National Geographic Explorer (technological
factor)
1990s : Collaborated with Lucasfilm and Apple
Computer (technological factor)
Multimedia packaged GTV

Used in middle school and includes interactive

lessons on U.S. History.
National Geographic Channel (technological and
social factor)
Launched in UK,Europe and Australia (Sept 1997)

Asia (July 1998)

United States (Jan 2001)

 National Geographic Television and Film (2003)
Mix results
Large formats IMAX films were introduced and was
successful.
NatGeo had to generate new content without losing
educational value
Targets younger generations to create awareness

By 2006 , National Geographic

Foreign publishing partners began mixing local
interest articles
Aspects transitioned from bring the world to America
and vice versa

Thus changes influenced by:

Economy
Techonology
The Old:
Interpretati

on
National Geographic embodies a wide range of traits and ideals,
from old to new.
Helped to sponsor popular traveling exhibits such as the
"King Tut" exhibit featuring magnificent artifacts from the tomb
of the Egyptian Pharaoh, which toured in several American
cities, ending its U.S. showing at the Franklin Institute in
Philadelphia.
Another National Geographic exhibit called The Cultural
Treasures of Afghanistan opened at the National Gallery of Art
in Washington in May 2008; travelled around the US for next 18
months.
They stopped photo journalism for the time being after
Kodak stopped producing Kodachrome film, in which some of
National Geographics most memorable pictures were captured.
The New:
Back in 2010, they introduced the National Geographic Interactional
Edition to the iPad, which allowed them to connect with an entirely
new generation our generation.

They have also thrown in their support for the various fields of modern
science cryptozoology, anthropology and archaeology; in fact, NGs
CEO, John Fahey states that National Geographic tries to only take a
position on issues backed by strong scientific support, such as global
warming, a topic thats received much coverage in the magazine.

The magazine also covered the Human Genome Project in 2007, which
tries to determine the origins and path of human migration.

NG is very supportive of geology and exploration worldwide, as

evidenced by their two awards the Hubbard and Alexander Graham
Bell medal, both given to distinguished contributors of exploration and
geology respectively.
National Geographic has also helped sponsor numerous research
projects over the years, with examples being:

Jacques-Yves Cousteau - Undersea exploration

Xu Xing - Discovery of fossil dinosaurs in China with distinct
feathers
Spencer Wells - The Genographic Project
Robert Ballard - RMS Titanic (1985) and John F. Kennedy's
PT-109 (2002) discovery

National Geographic also sponsors the National Geographic

Bee, an annual geographic contest for American middle-school
students, as well as an international geography competition
every two years.
 CONCLUSION
National Geographic is living up to its
motto to inspire people to care for their
planet.
Has evolved greatly over the years,
and has a positive impact on society
with its contributions.
A commendable Media Organization.
 THANK YOU
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_geographic (Wikipedia)
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/image-
collection/#/history_of_photography/ (History of Photography website-
National Geographic)
http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/national-geographic-comes-to-
ipad.html (Blog)
http://www.lb9.uscourts.gov/webcites/10documents/Spencer_NatGeo.pdf
(Article)
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/31/National-Geographic-
Society.html (Reference for Business Website)
http://www2.mccombs.utexas.edu/news/pressreleases/fahey07.asp (News
story)
Poole, Robert M. (2004).Explorers House: National Geographic and the World
it Made. New York: Penguin (e-book)
www.nationalgeographic.com (Official website National Geographic)