The best photographers in the world want to inspire people to action by taking photos where people are suffering. NEED magazine wants to tell stories about our heroes who are saving the world through humanitarian efforts. Readers crave inspiration from stories like these. So why is it difficult for a media organization to publish these stories?
Advertising dollars fueled print media in the past. Publications go to great lengths to drive up their circulation numbers in order to entice corporations to buy advertising space. This money comes with a price. Because advertisers control a large portion of publications’ revenue, they can easily dictate the content within written media. During this recession, many media organizations are discovering how unstable advertising money is. As corporations go bankrupt, so do publications that rely on these companies for advertising money. In response to this, NEED magazine is saying, “Screw the man.”
NEED magazine is a small, independent magazine which tells uplifting stories of hope about humanitarian aid. The publication was started by a couple who sold all they had to help humanitarian efforts by inspiring others. The “ScrewTheMan, SaveTheWorld” campaign is a push to drive up subscriptions so that NEED will not have to rely on advertisers for revenue. If we reach just 25,000 subscribers, NEED can kick advertisers to the curb for the length of these subscriptions. Since all the money sustaining the publication will come directly from subscribers, NEED will not be influenced by outside corporations, and the driving force of the magazine will be the readers themselves.
With every ad removed, NEED will have more space within each issue. We want to fill these pages with readers’ stories. If a reader has volunteered building a well in Sierra Leone, we want to publish it in the magazine so that this story might influence someone else to take a similar action. In this way, every reader has the power to join the founders’ goal of inspiring others to help. ScrewTheMan, SaveTheWorld is about making readers the lifeblood of NEED magazine and expanding its impact.
What’s more, of every 5000 new subscribers gained during this campaign, NEED will randomly choose one to win a PLAY it Forward Adventures trip. PLAY it Forward Adventures combines adventure sports with volunteer relief in exciting destinations all over the world. We are excited to possibly have the opportunity to provide people with the travel experience of a lifetime all while furthering our goal of publishing a magazine that inspires everyone to do their part to save the world.
