This is interesting; we've actually seen an increase in circulation since the economy began tanking and we believe it is because people recognize the hard work of our vendors, as well as the usually excellent quality of our writers, articles and information contained within.
I don't mean to toot our own horns here, but The Contributor has done an outstanding job while operating on a shoestring. I can't imagine what we'd do with a budget of half a mil annually; I can see Tasha and Tom drooling like Pavlov's dogs at the sound of a dinner bell at the very thought! Hell, one fifth of that amount would, I suspect, get us to dancing nekkid in the intersection of Broadway and 1st!
I'm wondering whether it was the change in format that caused them so much trouble; slick pubs, while nice for certain things, doesn't seem to fit with the gritty, raw and real-life experiences of many of the homeless.
It just seems to me that following the KISS formula (Keep It Simple-Sincere) is the best way to go with something like a homeless newspaper, and so far, we've found that this has held true.....Newspaper sold by homeless in trouble
CHICAGO - The future of StreetWise, a weekly sold on the streets of Chicago by the homeless, is in question.Officials of the nonprofit StreetWise Inc., said Tuesday the publication could close its doors in two week unless it receives about $75,000 in donations in coming weeks.
Executive Director Bruce Crane said advertising in the publication has increased since it converted from a newspaper to a glossy magazine in November. However, he is blaming a decline in the economy for a drop in charitable support.
According to Crane, grants accounts for about half of the organization's $500,000-a-year budget.
StreetWise first hit the streets in August 1992, and is sold by people who were down on their luck. With its conversion from a newspaper to a magazine format, StreetWise's price doubled to $2.
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Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/index
