Friends, that huge sucking sound you’re hearing isn’t jobs going to Mexico but dollars going fast and furious into keeping National Review Online operating. We’ve gotten as far as we can with sweat equity, sleepless months, good wishes, warm feelings, and bartering services for a night with Jonah Goldberg. At the end of the day, we’ve got a lot of bills to pay. And now, we’ve got them at the beginning of the day too.
Two years ago NRO was a very in-the-red operation. Fiscally speaking, of course, as we still detest Commies. Now, with about triple the staff that we had then, but without thrice the revenue of two years ago, we’re in-the-redder than ever. And in need of your help. Again.
It’s an interesting species, this business of NRO. NR — the print magazine — has existed these 52 years because of the generous financial support of its readers. No, NR wasn’t a “non-profit,” it was just non-profitable (no opinion magazine is since advertisers are loathe to associate their product or service or message with … controversy!). And yet this institution, with a sterling five-plus decades of losing money, plays financial host to the NRO.
At least NR has a relative ability to bring in some meager amount of money — subscriptions. Paper magazines are tangible items — people hold it in their hands and thereby perceive a value which merits the payment of cash. But since we’re not going to close off National Review Online to subscribers only, no matter how much and how excellent the content NRO publishes daily, it cannot make a real financial go of it, sans generosity.
Blanche DuBois famously got by on the kindness of strangers. We hope that’s where the similarity ends between her and National Review. But you know where this is heading.
Of course, you’re no stranger — you spend vast amounts of time here. If you’ve answered our prior calls for help, thanks, but please heed this new one too. And if you’ve yet to help sustain NRO financially, please take the opportunity right now to assist us.
Truth be told, this beseeching is a mite unpleasant. But not shameful. Without past financial support, NRO would not have made it these past ten years. You know the real impact NRO has — such as helping halt the supposedly un-haltable immigration/amnesty bill earlier this year — so there is a real need for us to continue publishing top-quality material of clear consequence.
It’s this simple: With your help, we will do that. Without your help, we won’t. So please give. You know NRO is worth it.