editorial
24 May 2015

Subscribe to New Matilda, While You Still Can!

By New Matilda
Keywords: 
new matilda

Earlier in the week, we put a call out for subscribers. We’re doing it again, but this time with more gusto!

New Matilda exists almost solely on paid reader subscriptions. Unfortunately, our current rate of subscriptions isn’t enough to sustain the publication.

Of course, we’ll find a way to keep going – we always do. But any help our readers can provide is greatly appreciated.

Traffic to the ‘new’ New Matilda is up 300 percent, but the paid subscriptions, unfortunately, are not.

If you’re already subscribed to New Matilda, then a sincere thank you. If you’ve not yet subscribed, and you’re holding out for a better deal… well, this is about as good as it’s going to get.

For $70 or $90 re-subscriptions (ie. existing subscribers who a re-subscribing), we’ll send you a free copy of the award winning film Budrus, a story which charts the struggle of a small Palestinian town against the construction of a ‘wall’ by Israel. We’d love to provide a DVD gift for all $70 and $90 subs, but unfortunately our budget doesn’t stretch that far.

However, it does stretch a little further for new subscribers at the Keen level ($180 per year). Subscribe to that level today, and we’ll chuck in two more DVDs: Pandora’s Promise, and John Pilger’s landmark documentary, Utopia (for more details, click here… and for those waiting on DVDs, we’re expecting another shipment of Utopia next week).

We’ll be launching a major subscription drive before the end of the financial year, to try and cover some of our burgeoning legal costs, and to help us complete a major upgrade of the New Matilda site.

But in order to get there, we need your support today.

Our goal is build the paid subscription base to 10,000 subs by the end of the year. Our basic theory is that if there isn’t 10,000 subscribers out there who are prepared to pay less than $2 a week to support independent media… well, then we’re all in a bit of trouble. At least we are if you believe in the power of independent press.

Ten thousand subscriptions will enable us to pay for an awful lot of investigative journalism. It will also enable us to pay our staff and writers fairly – they’re the folks who slave away each day to bring you some of the best independent journalism in the country.

If funds are tight and you’d prefer to make a smaller contribution, you can make a donation of any amount to New Matilda here.

As always, we appreciate the valuable support we receive from our readers. If you can pass this story on to like-minded family and friends and encourage them to subscribe (ie share this story on social media and tag in your mates) that will also assist enormously.

Cheers
New Matilda Team

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Richard Mahony
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 00:04

If you fail due to lack of funds, it will be largely your own fault.

I have repeatedly emailed you about reintroducing PayPal. Initially, many months back, you replied that you would, but you haven't. Now, you no longer bother to reply to my emails about PayPal, nor did you bother to acknowledge the small one-off payment I made to you when PayPal was still an option for one-off payments, which it isn’t any longer and hasn't been for some time.

I've twice gone recently to make a payment to you, including today - but no PayPal option (or it’s very hidden if it’s there), so I haven't completed the transaction. And no, I am not giving you my CC details or my bank account details by making a transfer!

Using PayPal, my wife and I regularly make small to medium one-off payments to numerous registered charities in Oz and overseas, and non-charity pressure groups. Ten bucks here; twenty there. My last one-off payment was $100 to the mob fighting to protect their traditional lands in Central Australia against mining.

These days, my wife and I refuse to use a CC online, except where we absolutely have to, ie with Australian government agencies, and Amazon, after Lush stuffed up. We had to cancel our main card and it was a complete pain. Never again. If you can’t be bothered to set up a PayPal account, then we can’t be bothered to deal with you.

I want to support you in your efforts. Arguably, the only real scoop you’ve had was the Abbott Whitehouse affair – but that was enough for me to help you with small payments any way I can for as long as you continue.

Frankly, however, if you can't even get PayPal sorted out and back and running, as you said you would, then there's no hope for you.

This user is a New Matilda supporter. Sooz
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 07:06

You could put a PayPal link in this article like you did to raise money for Ethan McCord. I think there's probably a lot of us who would use it. 

StephenCollins
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 07:35

As someone who has a standing monthly payment processed through Paypal, it cheeses me off more than a little to be continually asked for subscription changes and such. It wouldn't be that hard to extract the difference between those you know already pay you on a standing subscription from the mailing list, would it (that's not rhetorical, it is easy)?

101degreesfahrenheit
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 10:03

By Crikey; don't we love convenience! Trust is a function of shared beliefs and values. I recall the audience interaction when watching 'The Bank' and it was clear, even prior to the GFC, that we had little trust in banks as far back as 2001. Now in the age of big data who do we trust? Obviously we are all here because we have greater trust in independent media than in traditional media. Perhaps we should pause to consider the wider implications of how we conduct business. Here we are, five years down the track of 'open source' crypto currency and block chain developments, nary a flaw being discovered in this extremely disruptive 'technology'. In these troubled and confusing times where we are faced with such a range of disputers I wonder why we are not all being our own bank. It is no doubt a function of how 'the discourse' is set and why I felt compelled to comment here. Not sure about anyone else but the more I understand about the 'way things are' the more I find that, given that we still have a (mostly neutral) Internet, a lot of 'the discourse' becomes readily transparent. Yes it does take time to become informed. Thankfully the rise of new media, with it's quality journalism, is providing a good source of in depth analysis upon which I have managed to gain some insight into the complicated mess we are in. PayPal is to be hived off from the embattled Ebay this year. PayPal is big business ($8 billion in revenue in 2014). Putting previous comments into perspective I feel compelled to say I don't feel confident in placing trust in a company with such intertwined tentacles reaching into many facets of the financial services market. I'd also posit that PayPal is one of those corporations that doesn’t pay it's proper share of tax. I didn't find any problems finding a link to a PayPal payment option, should you want to go down such a path. As for being 'cheesed off' by the odd extraneous miss targeted email being sent out by the 'New Matilda' email list service I guess that is a pretty small inconvenience that will no doubt be resolved when we reach 'singularity'.

O. Puhleez
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 10:06

Paypal have been in strife lately over unauthorised withdrawals from users' accounts.

So I prefer cheques in the snail mail.

This user is a New Matilda supporter. denni_swill
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 12:06

Not sure why anyone would want to use paypal. It is one of the most irritating services on the net - constantly requiring updates, limiting your account,etc. Almost as bad as apple

This user is a New Matilda supporter. Zero_Pop_Gro
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 16:29

I wasn't sure if this was a notice that my subscription has expired or just a request for new subsribers.  

I do not like using a credit card because I can't keep track of payments.  Too often charities ask for a payment more than once a year so it is good to be able to check on the date of the last donation - hence I prefer bank transfers or B-Pay.

This user is a New Matilda supporter. Angela Nicholson
Posted Monday, May 25, 2015 - 22:00

Hi All, I look after admin & accounts for New Matilda amongst other things.

There are details on our 'Fund New Matilda' page about how to subscribe or donate though PayPal.

It is our every intention to redesign the New Matilda site to offer readers a better experience. Chris and I have completed a UXD (user experience design) course, we are now creating the design and we will then impliment it. It is quite a complex task, but we are working towards bringing it to fruition.

Our 'shout out' emails go to all readers as they also keep everyone up to date with the New Matilda journey.

I hope this answers some of your concerns. Please don't hesitate to email me here if you have any questions.

Cheers, Ange