95,000 francs in donations for left-wing newspaper P.S.
The left-wing Zurich newspaper P.S. has been saved for the time being. Following a full-page appeal for help published in its own pages in early May, the editorial office received nearly 95,000 francs in donations. This was not the first time the paper had been saved by donations.
In Thursday's edition, the political and cultural newspaper printed the donations to date: the editorial team, which is also the owner, received 94,628 francs from subscribers and sympathizers. This means that P.S. will continue, the editorial team wrote.
At the beginning of May, the paper announced its impending demise in an appeal for donations. If 100,000 francs were not donated quickly, the newspaper would not survive the summer. There was no further potential for savings and the paper would rather close than "continue for a few more months and then leave unpaid bills behind".
Donations as a fixed business model
The newspaper, which is primarily read by sympathizers and members of the SP and the Greens, has been in the red for years. Although the annual deficit of CHF 50,000 is not large, it could never be covered in the long term.
Appeals for donations seem to be developing into a permanent business model at P.S. Before the current appeal for help, publisher Koni Loepfe, former SP president of the city of Zurich, had already decided on this measure several times. In 2004, for example, the appeal for donations appeared under the title "Dörfs es bitzeli meh si?". At that time, 50,000 francs were raised within a few weeks. (SDA)
