Will there be a print version of The Pulp?
We hope so! But not right away. The economics of print are … difficult. You probably know that the Missoulian switched in June to printing three days a week instead of daily. In April, the Flathead Beacon axed its weekly paper (its story announcing the move gives a good overview of the factors contributing to print’s dramatic industry-wide decline). So, as much as we want a paper to page through at the coffee shop and brewery, we’re approaching a print version of The Pulp cautiously. We are looking at several options, but as we get going, all of our focus is on building a newsroom and organizational capacity so we can produce high-quality journalism in Missoula, and digital-only is the surest path.
Will the website have a paywall?
You mean those pop-ups that make you log in or subscribe? Nope. The Pulp will always be free to read because accessibility is one of our core values. But do you know what’s still not free? Good journalism. So we’re asking readers to be members, which means donating an amount of your choosing monthly or annually. Or you can make a one-time donation. We really appreciate it.
Why would I donate if The Pulp is free to read?
Because we cover things that matter to you, like city government, development, arts, housing and independent professional wrestling. Also because we’re a local nonprofit dedicated to high-quality journalism that informs and engages the community at a time when Missoula is growing and changing really fast. We need reporting that, as Erika wrote, “can hold up that mirror so we know who we are, so we can hold power to account, invite positive change, critique where we know we can do better, and celebrate what’s worth celebrating.”
So The Pulp is a nonprofit?
We’ve incorporated as a Montana nonprofit, and we’re in the process of filing our application for tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) status per the IRS. That’s why we have a fiscal sponsor, the Tiny News Collective. Donating to The Pulp via TNC assures your donation will be tax-deductible.
What’s your business model?
The Pulp has three primary sources of revenue. One is our reader membership program. That’s people who value our work becoming members by donating an amount of their choosing on a monthly or yearly basis. The second is business membership and sponsorship. We’ll roll out details on the business membership program and sponsorship opportunities soon. And the third revenue source is funding from grants and major donors. (We’ve received one grant so far, from Indiegraf, which earlier this year chose The Pulp to be among the 20 or so startups supported by its $3.5 million News Startup Fund.) We’re also considering merch and The Pulp-branded canned mimosas and we know some of you are going to support that.
Do you hate the Missoulian?
No! The Missoulian newsroom has very talented reporters and editors we really admire—and many more who used to work there but were laid off or encouraged to leave. The layoffs keep coming as Lee Enterprises, the newspaper chain that owns the Missoulian and four other papers in the state, continues searching for profitability 20 years after the traditional newspaper business model began to collapse. We wish Missoula had a thriving daily paper, and a vibrant alt-weekly, but that’s not the case. And it’s a big problem for our community. So we’re working to build a local, community-supported organization that’ll be around for the long haul.
Is this the new Missoula Independent?
No. But the founders of The Pulp are alums of the Missoula Independent, as are many of our current (and probably future) staffers and contributors. If you’re new here, the Indy was a free alt-weekly with a storied history and reputation shut down by Lee Enterprises in September 2018 after it was sold to that company roughly a year earlier.
Why do the Ps in your logo look like toilet paper rolls?
Made you look.
