On July 14, Max Suich, chief executive of the Independent Monthly, announced that the July issue of that magazine would be the last, just seven years after it was launched. Circulation rates had been falling, and Suich cited financial difficulties as the reason for the closure.
Why, then, in such a difficult financial climate, doesn't Green Left Weekly suffer the same fate? Produced weekly on an extremely tight budget, Green Left doesn't have the large corporate advertising deals that the Independent Monthly had, nor does it have the anywhere near the same scale of financial backing.
The answer lies with the person who sold you this newspaper or your subscription. She or he is one of a dedicated group of activists who are committed to the Green Left Weekly project. They contribute to the paper with articles, photos and news leads; above all, they make sure that Green Left Weekly gets out there to the readers who rely on its wide range of national and international news and issues each week.
The bulk of Green Left's distribution is by street sales, and those committed to distributing Australia's best independent weekly do so free of charge. They know that Green Left is their paper, just as it is yours.
But this commitment alone won't necessarily save Green Left from the financial thumbscrews. You can loosen this grip by taking out a subscription to the best progressive newspaper in Australia and/or by making a contribution to the fund appeal. (See the ads in this issue for details.) Green Left Weekly — it's your paper.