Action Alert: Help Save Independent Publications

This morning I received the following alert. I'm posting it in its entirety:

Dear Member of the Nation Community,

Tuesday's the big day. That's when Congress will hold a hearing on the outrageous Time Warner-inspired postage rate hike that's saddled The Nation with a half million dollar annual increase in postal costs and brought other small publications to the brink of financial disaster. Now's the moment for champions of independent media to take a stand.

We're joining our friends at Free Press to collect 100,000 signatures, and we want to have phones ringing off the hook on Capitol Hill by Tuesday. Link: Please send a message to Congress, post haste.

Our founding fathers knew that a free press is a cornerstone of democracy. That's why they encouraged small publishers and a broad spectrum of opinions in media by guaranteeing fair postal rates for all.

But mega-magazines have undermined that founding principle. Time Warner and others like them are passing the buck onto smaller independent publishers, threatening to silence the fearless investigative journalism that small media outlets like The Nation are known for.

Now is our chance to restore the founder's vision.

The Nation isn't the only small magazine forced to foot the bill. We're on the same page with small publishers on the opposite side of the aisle, like National Review, who have also been hit hard by the increase.

It's not just the fate of your favorite magazine that rests on the outcome of this hearing. The health of our nation's open public discourse hangs in the balance. Link: Your Congressperson needs to hear from you now. Please let them know you won't stand by quietly while the future of independent publications are at risk.

Thank you in advance for doing your part today -- and thank you for all you've done on this critical issue during the past few months. Without the help of grassroots activists like yourself we wouldn't even be witnessing these important hearings! Your support is amazing and we are truly grateful.

Sincerely,
Teresa Stack
President, The Nation