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I am six months into my role as executive editor of the Prospect. And the most difficult part has been feeling the burdens of the new economics of this industry from an entirely new side.
I hear from far too many talented journalists who should be preparing their next stories and hitting up sources for leads, who instead are contacting me to see if I might have something, anything, for them to work on. The layoffs and closures of outlets since I started (Splinter, Pacific Standard, Governing, and Deadspin, to name a few) have been staggering. I’ve heard from writers who suspect their job will not last, asking me to keep them in mind. I’ve heard from people on the cusp of their careers, trying to plot out their future in an industry that laughs at such plans. My view is that you do whatever you can to help out, because you never know when you’ll be on the other side of the table.
But it can be overwhelming. America lost 7,200 journalism jobs through September of this year, on top of losing over 15,000 last year. Google and Facebook have rendered advertising support virtually obsolete, taking virtually all the revenue for themselves while doing almost none of the work. The business model for journalism has transformed at a time when it’s needed more than ever. That’s not just a problem for my compatriots in the press; it’s a problem for a public that relies on baseline levels of news and information.
At the same time, every day I’m trying to figure out how to keep the Prospect thriving. We’re a nonprofit; any funding we receive is plowed back into the work, with overhead kept as low as possible. Yet it can still be very challenging. Just look at the dead links all around us.
What I’ve concluded is that, in this difficult environment, we simply have to rely to you, our readers, to sustain us and enable us to grow. So on this Giving Tuesday, we are rolling out the Prospect Monthly Donor Challenge, with three levels of support: Ideas, Politics, and Power.
For $3 a month, the Ideas level gets you all six issues of the magazine (up from four before I took over), and access to our daily newsletters (including a new one from me, Dayen Day Out), which feature exclusive content and links to all of our online stories. The Politics level ($10/month) and Power level (a generous $500/year) include access to Prospect live events, exclusive conference calls with writers and editors, annual recognition in our print magazine, and much more. All the information is at: prospect.org/subscribe.
Let me explain why this is so important. A magazine that speaks truths about corporate power, the grip of commerce over government, and the movements and coalitions that are fighting back does not lend itself to support from corporate advertisers. A magazine that has laser-focused for thirty years on the corrosiveness of inequality and the need for equitable taxation will not be on Jeff Bezos’s purchasing wish list. In 2019, you cannot sustain independent, impactful journalism about ideas, politics, and power—the heart of our mission—unless your readers are willing to pitch in.
I didn’t consider it appropriate to ask for your support until I was confident that we had built something really great. And over the past six months we’ve moved strongly in that direction.
Starting in January 2020, we will deliver six issues annually, up from four. Increasing our frequency allows us to get into the thick of the political conversation, with feature-length reporting on policy and politics, imbued with our populist left perspective.
We rebuilt our website from scratch in September, making it quicker to load, easier to read, and simpler to navigate, especially on phones and tablets. We have used it to publish substantially more coverage from our staff and team of regular contributors. At a time when impeachment and the presidential race have dominated the headlines, the Prospect has not lost sight of the bigger picture, delivering deep and detailed reporting of the GM strike, the plight of asylum seekers at the border, negotiations on the NAFTA replacement, payday lender scheming, and much more. And we’ve continued to explain how America really works, from Washington to the corporate boardroom, while putting forward the ideas that would change that direction.
When you subscribe to the Prospect, you’re part of something bigger than a magazine. That’s why we’re launching exclusive subscriber conversations, premier access to our events, and other ways for you to get involved. We want you to feel invested in this magazine, not just as a subscriber but as an active participant.
Throughout this month, we’re going to bring you special coverage, new features, and writing you won’t find anywhere else. We’re going to prove to you that this is a project worth supporting. Candidly, we can’t continue to do it without you.
We understand that your financial budget may not always allow for a contribution to a magazine. For those of you in that position, there’s still a way to help. The Prospect is one of three recipients in CREDO Mobile’s monthly donation contest. The more votes we get, at credodonations.com/American-Prospect, the more of the $150,000 donation kitty CREDO will give to us.
We’re going up against two other fine nonprofits, the ACLU and Fair Fight Action, Stacey Abrams’ voting rights group. Now these are excellent organizations; that’s why the ACLU received $120 million in donations in the first 15 months after the Trump election. We, um, have not received $120 million in that time period (or in our entire 30-year lifespan, for that matter). That’s why your support is so critical to us.
Getting your vote in the CREDO contest (click here to vote) would be great. But if you can afford it, we’d be honored if you can help us out with a donation at prospect.org/subscribe on this Giving Tuesday, or at any time throughout the month. We’re hoping to earn $50,000 from you by the end of the year; I believe in your faith in us to reach this goal.
This is a make-or-break moment for journalism in America. The 2020 election, the movements to save the planet, to get everyone health care and a place to live, these all need uplifting, and a shot or two of truth. We’re asking you to make a bet on our vision of a magazine that explains to you who has power, what they’re doing with it, and how it can be restored to the people.
Thanks for reading.
