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<a href=”https://www.utne.com/community/postalshakedown.aspx”>As Utne.com reported back in April</a>, postage and distribution costs can determine whether the rowboat floats or sinks for independent publications. That’s why the alt press has been sounding the alarms for months about a federal regulation change that boosted postal rates for small-circulation publications as of July 15.</p>
<p>But all hope is not lost. We just got an email news alert from media watchdog <a title=”Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting” href=”http://www.fair.org/” target=”_blank”>Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting</a> (FAIR) rallying concerned citizens to make their voices heard as a congressional subcommittee meets on reversing the price hike tomorrow (October 30). FAIR is directing folks to the media reform group <a title=”Free Press” href=”http://www.freepress.net/postal/” target=”_blank”>Free Press</a>, where people can sign a petition and send form letters to their representatives.</p>
<p>According to both FAIR and Free Press, the new rates have, in some cases, lowered the cost of postage for high-circulation giants like <i>Time</i>, <i>Newsweek</i>, and <i>People</i>, but raised postage for lower-circulating independent magazines. In fact, Time Warner–the country’s largest magazine publisher–was the architect behind the plan.</p>
<p>Peter Rothberg has <a title=”a great round-up on the issue over at the <I>Nation</I>’s Act Now blog” href=”http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow?bid=4&pid=245806″ target=”_blank”>a great round-up on the issue over at the <i>Nation</i>’s Act Now blog</a>, along with some inspiring details about how concerned citizens have gotten the price hike back on legislators’ radar.–<i>Eric Kelsey</i>
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