Vol. 71/No. 24      June 18, 2007

“This affects disproportionately small publications, especially working-class papers like the Militant. To remain in print, we depend on contributions from our readers, who are mostly working people, rather than advertising revenue or wealthy corporate patrons,” said Militant editor Argiris Malapanis. “In effect, it’s a class-biased attack on freedom of the press.”

On March 19, the Postal Board of Governors adopted a modified version of a plan prepared by Time Warner—the largest magazine publisher in the world. They allowed the public just eight working days to review the 758-page proposal.

Until now, second-class rates have been determined by the number of pieces and their weight. That changes July 15. Under the new rate plan big publishers will get discounts for mailing in bulk and trucking mail to post offices near the final destination. Publications without the resources to do that face a steep jump in mailing costs.

A study by the publisher McGraw Hill revealed that 5,700 publications will face a rate increase of over 20 percent with hundreds facing cost hikes exceeding 30 percent. Meanwhile the 1,260 largest publications will see mailing costs reduced.

The Postal Board of Governors admitted in its March 19 ruling that it has “some reservation about the wide variations in rate changes (from large increases to decreases) that different publications face.” It noted that “some publications face substantial rate increases even though they have limited options to become more efficient or to mitigate the increase.”

Scores of publications and organizations have joined in calling on the U.S. Congress to reverse the rate hike. Protests have been going on for months.

“This will affect dozens of small publications that are owned and operated by women,” reads a statement by the National Organization for Women, urging its supporters to write letters of protest against the rate hike. “The Postal Service should not be forced to use its monopoly power to favor the largest publishers at the expense of the smaller ones.”
 
 
Related articles:
How U.S. Post Office tried to shut down ‘Militant’, Black papers in World War II
 
 
 
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