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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
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On the Fringe Tip
Since the membership drive ended a few weeks ago (and, by the way, KPCC’s ends today), folks who made their KCRW pledges are now receiving their band new baby blue Fringe Benefits cards in the mail. Based on the fervent announcements made during the drives, you'd think all the money you'll save is almost equivalent to your 401K. But then reality sets in. And without keeping a running tally of expenses mitigated by the privilege of KCRW membership, it’s hard to know how great of a deal it truly is.
There are definitely times when we gladly bust out the card and submit to the station’s near hegemonic taste-making status, like when stocking up on wine and cheese, or books. We’ve also benefited from the discount last time we bought a piece of furniture -- and the savings far exceeded the pledge amount itself.
More often than not, however, we either forget to use the damn thing, or we save a couple bucks. Better than nothing, you might argue. Plus we're leveraging our consumer choices in order to rally around public radio. (Many would argue anyway that appealing to rational self-interest leads to optimized collective outcomes.)
Support for LAist comes from
So when it comes down to it, is KCRW membership really that fiscally advantageous, or are we supporting our local radio station out of altruism -- be it trendy, sincere, or somewhere in between?
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
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