Wright Thompson
The beat goes on…
A curious attempt by the Kansas City Star to try and raise $200,000 by beseeching readers to contribute moneys so they can afford to pay their writers, is up and running.
In one week’s time, the Star has taken in more than 17 grand in online, “tax free” donations, funneled through a tiny Michigan nonprofit.
The question being, how can a small nonprofit grant tax free status to donations directed to a for profit biz like the Star?
And while nobody’s saying what percentage of the dough actually goes to the Star – or how long the Internal Revenue Service will allow things to continue, the $25 and up donations continue to trickle in.
Including a $1,000 one from former Star sportswriter Wright Thompson, now with ESPN.
They don’t even deserve the money they get from subscribers. $1900/year for a a 6 day a week quasimarxist propaganda rag that half of the time gets dropped in the gutter by the delivery person. They have the nerve to tell us to go online to get more stories and are talking about going all digital. I can get all that information for free from other sources online! They aren’t ever going to get another dime from me!
For the record…
Once upon a time The Star got away with getting beaucoup bucks from subscribers.
No mas.
I know you are moving on, but for anyone out there still overpaying, you can negotiate a $120 a year print and digital subscription.
I also find it amusing that they are trying so hard to get people used to a digital format. Do they not realize that this will hasten their demise? Of course, at this point, their demise is just a matter of time.
I find that interesting too, Mike…
That said, things have been changing.
And whereas the vast majority of the Star’s revenue has traditionally come from its print edition (and very little revenue from online advertising and subscriptions), two things have happened.
First, the subscription revenue has plunged vis loss of readers and lower fees in some cases. Second, the ad revenue has also plummeted.
Combine those with the fact that the print edition is far more expensive than the online.
In other words, the ship of state is sinking so fast, nobody really know what to do to try and fix it besides dump it off on some corporate raider who will sell off assets, fire and furlough even more (if that’s imaginable) staff and cut expenses to the bone.
Whatever happens at this point, it won’t be pretty.