Open Media Boston Holiday Appeal: This Year You Can Donate or Co-operate ... or Both!
Wow, time sure does fly. This is Open Media Boston's third Holiday Appeal since we started publishing in March 2008. That means for the last two years and (just about) nine months we've been bringing you - our expanding core of regular viewers - news and views with a progressive editorial stance. And we've been consistently covering issues that affect working families in Boston and environs every week - week-in and week-out - on a shoestring budget. Issues like foreclosures, layoffs, police brutality, corporate malfeasance, military adventurism, environmental destruction and the ongoing tendency of government at all levels to ignore (or exacerbate) these and other looming crises. But we don't just focus on what's bad. We have made it our mission to focus on what working people do to fight back against the caprices of the rich and powerful. Improving their lives - and our society - in the bargain.
We cover teach-ins, demonstrations, rallies, marches, strikes, walk-out, sit-ins, and grassroots lobbying efforts. We show that history is made from below more than it is made from above, and chronicle how regular people from all walks of life band together to form organizations - like unions, community groups and co-operatives - that challenge entrenched political and economic power ... and do so in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We cover these groups' defeats and victories. And we run a growing number of opinion pieces from representatives of many social movements - who tell their tales in their own words.
Open Media Boston also likes to cover fun stuff. Interesting stuff. Quirky stuff. Beautiful and profane stuff. In our Arts section. In our Living section. And on our blog.
But, naturally, we can't do all this without your support. Our audience provides much of our small, but growing budget. So, although we recognize - perhaps more keenly than any other publication in the Boston area - how difficult the times are for working families, we need everyone's help to keep bringing you news you can really use.
This year, we have two ways you can help Open Media Boston. One traditional, one new.
The most straightforward thing you can do to support us is donate whatever you can afford to our existing non-profit wing. You can do that by clicking the big red "Donate to OMB button!" on the upper right hand corner of every page of our website. Or by just clicking here. (If you'd like to donate by check, just make it out to our parent non-profit "Media Working Group," write "donation to OMB" in the memo line, and send it to MWG Administration P.O. Box 1807 Lexington, KY 40588-1807).
The new and exciting thing you can considering doing is to join our Open Media Co-operative and become part owner of this publication. We've published a number of editorials this year explaining the concept, if you need more detail. But basically for just under three dollars a month, you can help us launch our new democratically-run business wing this February. If you'd like to plug into that effort, just click here to take our survey - be sure to let us know who you are and our to contact you, and we'll be in touch shortly with more information about how you can join up.
If you'd like to be extra helpful, why not do both? Donate to our non-profit AND join our new co-op. A donation gives us ready cash to keep expanding our operation in the short term. But a co-op membership is more of a long-term investment in our publication. Doing either is great. Doing both is wicked great.
However you can help out, the entire Open Media Boston staff thanks you. And we hope you all have a great holiday season. Even in these difficult times.
Jason Pramas is Editor/Publisher of Open Media Boston
