As a community-supported nonprofit news outlet, The Column doesn’t rely on advertising to raise revenue. That’s important for two reasons:

It’s less annoying for our readers!

And more importantly, we are able to maintain independence. Many media outlets, especially smaller ones that depend on advertising to turn a profit, can be influenced by advertisers. Editors may spike a story for fear it might offend an advertiser or even worse might write a story in order to woo a potential advertiser.

This is also important in terms of web traffic and circulation. The Column is committed to reporting on issues that matter, stories that can make an impact, and making sure the diversity of the community is recognized. We don’t have to worry if a story about a subset of the community might not bring in a large number of readers; we’re worried about making sure the stories get told.

For the LGBT press, often times that’s not the case. Stories about products and services fill pages, and shirtless chiseled bodies get put on the cover. This can be a necessity in order for LGBT publications to increase circulation or increase web traffic in order to appease advertisers.

You won’t see chiseled bodies on the cover of The Column (look for our digital editions coming soon!) or on the website, unless there’s an artistic or cultural reason to do so.

As a nonprofit, The Column strives to be a good steward of any donations we receive, be it in-kind, foundation grants, or donations from the community. Please check out our 2014 Annual Report which demonstrates our commitment to transparency. Seventy-seven percent of revenue went toward reporting in 2014.

Please consider a contribution today by visiting GiveMN.org or using the form below.