Money For Something: Paste Seeks Donations

Unable to withstand the economic slowdown and a rather bleak ad market, Georgia-based Paste magazine turns to its readers for donations to help keep the publication afloat.

In an open letter posted to the Paste website yesterday, the magazine appealed to readers for cash donations for as little as $1 and as much as $100.

“We’ll make it through this short-term economic crisis—but it’s only with your help,” the letter reads. “Our fate is (and has been and always will be) in your hands. Big-time investors are not “in the game” right now—but readers can rise up and “invest” in Paste’s future. Will you be a part?”

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Paste Editor-in-Chief Josh Jackson said he needs donations in “the low six figures” to safely keep the magazine afloat.

“We have been trying to cut costs but apparently not fast enough,” Jackson said Wednesday. “We’re at the point where we have to go to the readers for a little help. We hope it will be a one-time thing.”

Jackson also confirmed that the 15-member staff was taking a pay cut. He stopped short of naming the amount.

Like any good pledge drive, even one as urgent as this, the Save Paste campaign has free stuff to help persuade supporters to contribute. Paste has rounded-up a solid collection of ‘rare and exclusive’ MP3s from artists like Decemberists, Neko Case, Josh Rouse, Of Montreal, Joe Henry, Bob Mould and Cowboy Junkies that will be offered as a ‘thanks’ to donating readers.

With Paste in such a tailspin financially, it’s interesting to note that for last month’s Record Store Day the magazine revived their Radiohead-inspired “pay what you want to pay” subscription model, which originally started for a limited time in ’07. A good pr move, but I’d be curious to know how much money was lost when people swooped in and paid nothing, or close to nothing, for a subscription.

With music titles Harp and Blender already forced to shutter due to a mix of declining ad sales, the economic downtown and shifting consumer preference, I’m anxious to see how the Paste story turns out. You’d figure the hardcore readers will chip in, but that might not be enough. Even with broad support for Paste’s content, there might be too much of that ‘yeah I like it, but I can get my music fix elsewhere’ sentiment that dooms the seven-year-old magazine.

As a former subscriber (see, now I feel bad), I’d still recommend the magazine; there’s always a place in my book for quality, music journalism. Maybe if Paste ekes out survival it can move forward in finding a passable blueprint for publications trying to weather the economic storm.

Or they could just go to Washington and ask for a bailout.

Are you thinking of donating to help save Paste? Do you even like Paste?

Is one less music publication really going to matter in the end?

Source: prefixmag.com