Yes, the MSM is dying.

But the alternative media is hardly making a living.

Most of the people doing it are doing it as I am – by the skin of their teeth, just trying to hang on (or they are financially independent and making a living is no longer an issue; for example Lew Rockwell).

And why? Because the Internet is “free.”

Well, it’s free for the consumers.

The producers, on the other hand…

Pre-Internet, if you wanted a newspaper or magazine, you had to buy the damned thing. Or at least, someone had to buy it.

Pre-Google, if you had a publication with circulation in the tens of thousands per month, advertisers who wanted to publicize their products had to pay commensurately for advertising slots. Now, advertisers can pay cents per month to reach the same audience because Google controls pretty much all Internet advertising and that’s how most advertisers advertise now. It’s a kind of electronic age feudalism.

Sites like this could work – meaning, they could afford to have full-time writers (and editors) doing work that people seem to value (based on how many people read the stuff) . . . if a mere fraction of the readers would support the work. But – perversely – relatively few people are willing to support it so long as they can get it for free. I use the word “perversely” because it is perverse that people who ostensibly support non-coercive/non-corporate news and opinion are not willing to support non-coercive/non-corporate news and opinion.

The problem, of course, is that one can only work for nothing (or very little) for awhile. At some point, one either accepts poverty – or one moves on to something else.

I understand why people sell out.

Making a go of it outside the corporate/MSM media is extremely hard. Harder, in a very real way – because (in my case) one works twice as long for much less pay. I’m writing, I’m editing, I’m formatting and graphic designing – and I’m (trying) to sell ads, too.

Bottom line, folks: If you want this train to keep on chugging along – and running over Clovers – please throw some coals in the fire.

Our donate button is here.

If you prefer to avoid PayPal, snail mail is fine. The address is:

EPautos

721 Hummingbird Lane SE

Copper Hill, VA 24079

And: a big thank-you to all who have supported us (who have kept this site alive) so far. I’m doing all I can on my end – and I appreciate everything you do on yours.

-E