Agenda For Sale!

Having conceived, birthed, nurtured and raised the entity known as AGENDA for the past 12 years, it is with great reluctance that we (Ted Sylvester and Laurie Wechter) send our offspring out into the world.

It's a funny position to be in - to say "this paper is for sale!" because though we officially "own" Agenda Publications, there are thousands of people-hours and dollars invested by the community in this project. So, instead of "selling" AGENDA like any old slab of business meat, we'd rather think of it in terms of "passing the torch."

It is a great privilege and responsibility to be publishers of an independent "alternative" newspaper in Ann Arbor. It is an honor to work with some of the area' s brightest and best writers and thinkers, month after month, toward a common goal. That goal - to be an alternative to the chainstream corporate press - entails the deepest respect for the intelligence of the readership in this very well-read city.

It takes a ton of hard work, but for us the satisfaction of having a voice in the public arena - of printing and distributing articles and information on issues of importance from perspectives that are needed and appreciated - makes it all worthwhile.

We have very special feelings for this newspaper. It is like our child. And now the child, on the verge of teenage-hood, has outgrown its parents and needs a new home.

So, let's say you might want to carry the torch - provide a new home for a growing adolescent newspaper. What exactly would you get?

First, a few facts. Born April, 1986. First year in business: $17,000 gross receipts from advertising, subscriptions and donations. Circulation: 10,000 free papers from 200 drop spots. Mission: to publish a quality alternative newsmonthly based on the failure of the local mainstream media to adequately and fairly cover issues of importance to the community. Jump to 1997: $67,000 gross receipts from advertising, subscriptions and donations. Circulation: 20,000 free papers from 300 drop spots. Mission: to publish a quality alternative newsmonthly based on the failure of the local mainstream media to adequately and fairly cover issues of importance to the community.

The most valuable asset AGENDA has, as far as "keeping the doors open and the lights on" (paying the bills) is a very loyal advertising base. We have, since 1991, doubled our advertising revenues. Many of AGENDA' s advertisers have stayed with the paper for a very long time because it is a consistently unique product in a great market, for a competitive price. Their support can never be taken for granted but if AGENDA continues to be the same quality product its advertisers should remain customers far into the future.

The most valuable asset AGENDA has as a newspaper, as far as delivering a product that someone wants to read, is its incredible volunteer writing staff: Arwulf Arwulf, John Cantú, William Shea, Jamie Agnew, Lou Hillman, Neil Dixon Smith, Michael Anderson, Robert Krzewinski, and Stephanie Kadel-Taras. No, these folks are not for sale! Quite the contrary. These troopers, as well as feature writers like Phillis Engelbert, Elizabeth Clare, Anthony P. King, and Karis Crawford (to name a few), write for AGENDA because they have something important to share and the newspaper is a great pipeline to the free-thinking public. Their skills and contributions also can never be taken for granted but if AGENDA continues to provide this forum for talented writers and original thinkers, their loyalty, and the loyalty of others to follow, is sure to remain.

Many, many newspapers and magazines have come and gone in Ann Arbor over the past decade but AGENDA has survived and flourished because there is a true need in this city for a progressive news and information source. In short, buying AGENDA would mean assuming stewardship over a robust newspaper with a life and momentum of its own.

There are no promises for the future success of AGENDA. Only potential. Ideally, a new owner would have a little working capital to invest in the kind of peoplepower needed for the paper to grow (for example, a full-time advertising account executive and compensation for writers).

While money is necessary, it may not be the most important part of the equation as far as we're concerned. The terms, as they say, are negotiable. What we're looking for is to perpetuate the life of a young but deserving local institution.

We are open to all kinds of possibilities. The newspaper might be in good hands with one of the established local nonprofits like the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, the Ecology Center, or the People's Food Co-op (or a coalition of such groups). Perhaps a group of individuals would want to form a collective (now that's a radical idea!). Whatever your plan or position might be we need to hear from you as soon as possible.

For more information about buying AGENDA, including detailed financial statements, please call us at 734-996-8018 or e-mail: agenda@bizserve.com