Nick Mott - A Masterclass in Nuanced Storytelling
Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson
The Evolution of Environmental Polarization
This chapter explores the evolution of polarization in environmental issues, focusing on the spotted owl controversy and its effects on the timber industry. It highlights the role of media narratives in the 1990s and discusses the increased divisiveness fueled by digital platforms, alongside personal reflections on limiting social media for mental health.
Nick Mott is an award-winning multimedia journalist who lives in Livingston, Montana. His latest project is a wonderful new podcast called The Wide Open, which he produced in collaboration with Montana Public Radio and the Montana Media Lab. The podcast offers a fresh look into our ever-changing relationship with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and it digs into the history, nuance, and modern-day controversies surrounding what has been called “the most powerful environmental legislation in the world.” Nick explores this devisive topic with deep curiosity and journalistic integrity, and I found the podcast to be amazingly educational and entertaining– which is a rare combo when discussing such a complex piece of legislation.
If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, then many of the topics Nick explores in The Wide Open will be of great interest– grizzly bears, wolves, the environmental history of the West, and more. You’ll also hear a few familiar voices, including past podcast guest and living legend Doug Peacock. But what I most appreciated about The Wide Open is how Nick was able to humanize the stories surrounding such a divisive part of Western culture– he features people who love the ESA and people who hate it, but all of them are given the opportunity to share their stories and unique outlooks. In this current cultural moment of hot takes, outrage, and misinformation, The Wide Open is a much-needed return to nuance, curiosity, and civility.
As you’d expect from an award-winning podcaster, Nick knows how to tell a great story, so I know you’ll enjoy this episode. We start out discussing the history of the ESA and Nick’s fresh approach to exploring such a well-known environmental story. We discuss how the ESA is used as a tool to achieve goals other than species protection, how Nick balances the need to make his podcasts both informative and fun to listen to, how he accounts for his own personal biases when telling stories, and how he goes about choosing people to interview. About halfway through the episode, Nick recounts a horrifying recent run-in he had with a grizzly bear, and he discusses how that close call affected his thinking on some of these complex wildlife issues. We also discuss his favorite books, plans for future seasons of The Wide Open, how he deals with negative feedback, wolf reintroduction in Colorado, his professional heroes, and much more.
Be sure to check out the episode notes for links to everything, including Nick’s other podcasts and his book "This is Wildfire," which he co-authored with Justin Angle.
A big thanks to Nick for taking the time, thank you for listening, and please subscribe to The Wide Open– I know you’ll really enjoy it!
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- Nick Mott
- The Wide Open
- "This is Wildfire" by Nick Mott and Justin Angle
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nick-mott/
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 3:50 - What attracts Nick to specific stories or topics?
- 6:30 - Nick describes his new approach to examining the ESA.
- 8:30 - A brief history of the ESA
- 11:35 - Using the ESA as a tool to save species OR achieve other goals
- 16:00 - How Nick chooses people to interview and include on the podcast
- 19:15 - Balancing telling stories that are both entertaining and substantive
- 22:50 - Accounting for bias in journalism
- 24:45 - Why Nick includes his own story in the podcast narrative
- 27:30 - Introvert or extrovert?
- 28:50 - Did Nick change his mind on anything related to the ESA?
- 31:30 - How the internet has inflamed the divisiveness of the ESA
- 33:00 - Nick’s recent terrifying encounter with a grizzly
- 39:00 - The psychological aftermath of the grizzly scare
- 44:45 - Providing a framework for thinking about wolf reintroduction in Colorado
- 49:00 - People Nick admires
- 53:00 - What type of journalism does Nick like the best?
- 55:00 - Future seasons of The Wide Open?
- 56:45 - People Nick admires
- 1:00:00 - Favorite books
- 1:02:00 - Dealing with negative feedback
- 1:04:00 - Parting words of wisdom
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