A new hope?
By Jon Anne Willow
Dear Readers,
First off, thank you to everyone who came down to our 5th birthday party on February 24 at Turner Hall. I will freely admit that at press time the party hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll refrain from any mention of what a huge success it was. I can with confidence, however, thank our wonderful sponsors. Time Warner Cable made the party possible and WMSE really helped us get the word out. The Brewcity Bruisers, Pabst Theater, Coldwell Banker, The Oxygen Network, HBO, Windfall Theater, Atomic Tattoo and Hairys Hair Bar all sponsored booths, worked the room and/or donated fabulous prizes, which we in turn gave to you, our readers. Please support them in the coming year with your patronage. They truly put the rubber to the road when it comes to supporting local, independent media.
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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about consumer confidence, and here’s why. VITAL is free to the people and supported by advertisers. It’s a common model, though like most startup businesses, the majority of free publications fail within their first two years. Ours didn’t, but it’s grown slowly. Initially, of course, there were normal factors to consider: lack of awareness, a weaker distribution network than our peers, etc. In time we overcame these hurdles and saw good results. Today, we have terrific advertisers, a talented staff, a sounder distribution network and a fantastic printer. But I’ve been in the media business a long time, and the hustle we do at VITAL to keep the numbers up is beyond what I would’ve previously considered the norm.
At first I thought the issue might be about the state of print, but it’s wider. Everybody’s in the same boat, from the daily newspaper to the weeklies, the glossy monthlies and even broadcast and online media. If ad spending is up nationally (it’s at an all-time high), why are local outlets flat?
The economy has been in a slump for the entire life of VITAL, with the latest findings by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showing that for the first time since the Great Depression, Americans spent more than they’re worth in 2006, mostly on gas, mortgages and prescription medications. These days, average people stay home more and consume less, and this in turn puts the squeeze on local businesses, from clothing boutiques to restaurants and theaters. You can connect the rest of the dots yourself.
But there may be good news on the horizon. The Fed just released its latest Consumer Confidence Index report, which shows that Americans feel better about jobs, the current economic climate and investment prospects than they have in over two years. And it marks something even more important – the rebirth of hope. The last time we felt even this good, it was still a declining number compared to how good we felt before. Now it represents a rise. With gas prices lower and worker wages rising at least slightly faster than inflation, some Americans are starting to think beyond how to stretch that next paycheck to cover house payments and credit card minimums. As a nation, we are encouraged by the new Congress and their skepticism about Bush’s budget. They haven’t had a chance to walk their talk yet, but we seem to believe that they will tackle access to health care, curb spiraling military spending and staunch the bleeding of education and critical social programs. The states are taking up some of this fight as well, with 19 governors vowing to broaden access to healthcare in 2007.
It’s too early to tell just yet, but things may be looking up. We’re a hopeful people by nature, used to feeling like everything can and will turn out well in the end. It’s what’s made us great and has gotten us through hard times for over two centuries, and it’s not that outrageous to think that we might be able to send the fat lady back to her dressing room again.
Fingers crossed,
Jon Anne
