,
11 tweets,
6 min read
Read on Twitter
1/ This is a good piece by @edmundlee and I agree with it's overall premises, especially that relying on digital advertising for the overwhelming part of your revenue is not workable. But nytimes.com/2019/02/01/bus…
@edmundlee 2/ Would just like to point out a few things about the success stories in this paragraph: 
@edmundlee 3/ The Washington Post, The Atlantic, (and also the LAT), have been bought by billionaires who've injected a ton of cash into them. The NYT also has benevolent rich owners.
Axios also got investment from the Atlantic's owner and like Vox, VCs.
Hopefully it lasts.
Axios also got investment from the Atlantic's owner and like Vox, VCs.
Hopefully it lasts.
@edmundlee 4/ Anyway, yes, the future is reader supported. Via subscriptions, donations, paywalls, newsletters, events, etc.
Support the media you care about. The billionaires and esp the VCs aren't always content to subsidize for the long haul.
Support the media you care about. The billionaires and esp the VCs aren't always content to subsidize for the long haul.
@edmundlee 5/ Re NYT. I remember getting into a heated debate with David Carr, my old boss, about whether, as I proposed, the NYT should figure out a way for people to donate to it with or without a sub. He thought that would sour advertisers and investors. But they basically do that now.
@edmundlee 6/ "Buy a subscription for a classroom" is basically a way to throw the NYT more money because you want it to be around.
@edmundlee 7/ A metered paywall—which (only?) works for something at the Times' scale—that drives you to a digital sub is a way to persuade your core readers to pony up for all it does, even if you don't read it all.
@edmundlee 8/ "Can't you find a way for me to pay you without sending me all these dead trees?" My last real argument with David. Who'd be bringing some fire to the platforms and other bad or dumb actors were he still with us.
@edmundlee 9/ Anyway, here's @MotherJones revenue breakdown. The majority comes from readers. And though advertising is a small portion, we're getting pummeled there like everybody else.
@edmundlee @MotherJones 10/ So if you value us, consider a donation. $5 a month ALSO gets you the print mag: secure.motherjones.com/fnx/?action=SU…
@edmundlee @MotherJones 11/ Also, I feel like journalists are sometimes the worst at supporting media they care about. **Not the young/broke ones, but the ones who can afford it.** If you can, but you're not, supporting a bunch of news orgs, you're part of the problem.
