A five-paragraph note sent out from Guardian US editor Betsy Reed on Friday may be one of the most successful subscription marketing messages in the history of online news.
Her email to US supporters, sent at 4pm Eastern Time on Friday (25 October), followed the decisions by the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times not to endorse any candidate in the US presidential election. The Washington Post spiked a pro-Kamala Harris leader column after intervention from billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.
By Monday afternoon Eastern Time, Reed’s note had driven some $1.8m in additional reader contributions from the US, according to Guardian News and Media.
What did Guardian editor Betsy Reed’s email say?
Reed’s note said: “This week, two of America’s largest newspapers declined to endorse a candidate for president in this election. The Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post both have a tradition of issuing editorial endorsements, but in this most consequential of contests for our country, they have chosen to sit on the sidelines of democracy and not alienate any candidate.
“Something these two papers have in common? They both have billionaire owners who could face retaliation in a Trump presidency.
“It has never been clearer that media ownership matters to democracy. The Guardian is not billionaire-owned, nor do we have shareholders. We are supported by readers and owned by the Scott Trust, which guarantees our editorial independence in perpetuity. Nobody influences our journalism. We are fiercely independent and accountable only to you, our readers.
“The stakes of this election could not be higher. Fearless journalism and an informed public are bedrocks of our democracy, and it is an abdication of our duty as journalists to sit out this election out of self-interest. A Guardian editorial strongly endorsed Kamala Harris for president earlier this week – and we are unafraid of any potential consequences.
“We need to raise $2m in order to keep up our momentum next year and hold the new administration to account – whoever is in the White House. Please help protect the truly free press by contributing to the Guardian today.”
$411,000 from editor’s email alone in three days
According to GNM, Reed’s email directly generated $411,000 in reader contributions by Sunday. There was also a huge influx of donations that came after readers saw Reed’s message online or read other Guardian reporting about the LA Times and Washington Post, meaning the total of $1.8m by Monday.
Friday set an initial Guardian US fundraising record of $485,000 which was then beaten by $619,000 on Saturday and then followed by $365,000 brought in on Sunday.
The weekend also saw a conversion rate five times higher than usual for people that visited The Guardian’s support page and then contributed in the US.
The Guardian’s unusual commercial model sees it mainly make revenue from members and one-off donations from people paying to keep the title’s journalism free to read for all.
It also offers subscriber-style benefits to those paying £12 per month which include: unlimited access to The Guardian app, ad-free reading, an exclusive newsletter and fewer requests from support from the title itself.
The Guardian is owned by a non-profit body called The Scott Trust whose only remit is to protect the independence of Guardian journalism in perpetuity.
Falling advertising revenue and fewer print sales saw Guardian revenue fall 2.5% year on year to £258m in the year to March 2024 meaning the title had a financial deficit of £36.5m. The Scott Trust supports The Guardian with the help of a £1.3bn endowment fund.
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