22.11.2012

Paradox

Who says print is a dead medium? Not Robbie Rix, that's for sure

Standing orders paid to the Weekly Worker are continuing to look very healthy. Last week, for example, a total of exactly £400 landed in our bank account that way. Thank you, one and all, for your excellent contributions, with special mention to SK and MM for their consistent and reliable generosity.

And I have just received two new SO commitments, both for £10 a month. Knowing that our paper depends on our readers’ financial support to survive, comrade EO asked how much she should really pay for her Weekly Worker. Well, the cover price is £1 and a second-class stamp costs 50p, so £6 a month in theory covers it. But the truth is, it costs us far more than £1 to produce, print and collate each copy. Like all leftwing publications we run at a big loss.

But, of course, we are not in it to make a profit or even break even. We think our message is vitally important and our comrades make all kinds of sacrifices to make sure that message continues to go out. So it is gratifying when those like EO insist on doing their bit (the other new £10 donor is comrade TK, by the way).

As well as those standing orders, I received two cheques in the post this week - thanks to FC (£25) and MN (£20). But there have been no PayPal donations over the last seven days - although I must say that paying for your subscription by that means is growing in popularity. So we’ve had two new PayPal subs this week - one of them from as far away as Japan!

It’s a bit of a paradox really. These comrades pay online, but they want to read the print issue. Who said the internet will see off the outdated physical newspaper? And the total internet readership remains in five figures - last week we had 10,515 online readers. But I could definitely do with a few of them chipping in for our fighting fund.

That fund stands at £1,084 for November. Which means we need another £416 in just over a week. Please make sure we get there.