Real Change
Encyclopedia
Real Change is a weekly street newspaper
based in Seattle, Washington
, USA
. It is sold by the poor, many of whom are homeless, providing them an alternative to panhandling. It is written and produced, however, by professional staff, and covers mainstream news as well as homelessness issues. It became weekly in 2005, making it the second American street newspaper ever to be published weekly. Real Change is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization and has a $950,000 annual budget.
, a Chicago street newspaper, went weekly in 1998. (
) In addition to becoming a weekly newspaper, it hired several professional journalists and shifted its focus so that it also covered mainstream news, rather than only poverty issues.
As a biweekly, it sold about 18,000 copies every two weeks, and after becoming weekly it sold 11,000 copies a week in 2005, making it one of the most widely circulated street newspapers in the United States; it sold slightly over 450,000 copies total in 2004. In 2008 it sold about 72,000 copies in the month of December.
The paper is funded mainly by sales and advertising
, which made up 40% of its revenue in 2004, and by private donation
s, which made up about 35%.
Several vendors are very successful, selling as many as 2,000 papers a month and being known as "fixtures" in the community; most, however, sell far less than that. Real Change vendors operate under a "turf system," under which vendors who sell over a certain number of papers per month get rights to sell at a certain spot; according to Harris, this system allows buyer-vendor relationships to build up and for vendors to become well known in particular communities, and can minimize conflict and competition between vendors. Most vendors sell within Seattle proper, although some sell in the Eastside
. Vendors may sell without restriction on sidewalks, but sometimes need to obtain a license to sell in commercial areas like malls.
(according to Harris, 63 percent do). Real Change's 2008 Annual Report shows that the percentage of vendors who are white has declined somewhat, to 56 percent; the percent who are male has declined very slightly to 71 percent; a different age breakdown shows 54 percent between ages 31 and 50, and 40 percent 51 or older; and 72 percent with a physical or mental disability.
Not all the vendors of Real Change are homeless at a given time; several are able to afford an apartment off the money they make from selling the paper, and others share accommodations with others. Like Washington, D.C.
's Street Sense
and Portland, Oregon
's Street Roots
, Real Change does not screen incoming vendors for income or living situation, nor does it "retire" vendors after they have obtained stable housing. The paper's staff have stated, however, that the majority of vendors are living in poverty and no vendors are "living in the bling-bling" from selling papers. According to Real Change's 2008 Annual Report, 56 percent of vendors are currently homeless: 19 percent sleeping outside, 12 percent in shelters, 10 percent are "not housed, sleeping in multiple places," 7 percent "staying with friends or family", 4 percent are sleeping in cars; no detail was available on the rest. The vast bulk of those who are housed—36 percent of all vendors—are in subsidized housing. Only 7 percent of vendors have never been homeless.
Street newspaper
Street newspapers are newspapers or magazines sold by homeless or poor individuals and produced mainly to support these populations. Most such newspapers primarily provide coverage about homelessness and poverty-related issues, and seek to strengthen social networks within homeless communities...
based in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is sold by the poor, many of whom are homeless, providing them an alternative to panhandling. It is written and produced, however, by professional staff, and covers mainstream news as well as homelessness issues. It became weekly in 2005, making it the second American street newspaper ever to be published weekly. Real Change is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization and has a $950,000 annual budget.
History and circulation
Real Change has been published by the Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project since 1994; the paper's founder, Tim Harris, had founded the Spare Change News street newspaper in the Boston area in 1992, and started Real Change when he moved to Seattle. It started off as a monthly paper with only one staff member, but later became bi-weekly. In February 2005, because of increasing sales and interest in the paper, Real Change started to be published weekly, making it the second weekly street newspaper in the country.StreetWiseStreetWise
StreetWise is a street newspaper sold by people without homes or those at-risk for homelessness in Chicago. Topics covered in the paper vary depending on what is happening in Chicago at the time...
, a Chicago street newspaper, went weekly in 1998. (
) In addition to becoming a weekly newspaper, it hired several professional journalists and shifted its focus so that it also covered mainstream news, rather than only poverty issues.
As a biweekly, it sold about 18,000 copies every two weeks, and after becoming weekly it sold 11,000 copies a week in 2005, making it one of the most widely circulated street newspapers in the United States; it sold slightly over 450,000 copies total in 2004. In 2008 it sold about 72,000 copies in the month of December.
The paper is funded mainly by sales and advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, which made up 40% of its revenue in 2004, and by private donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
s, which made up about 35%.
Contents
The topics covered in Real Change are a mixture of mainstream local news and information specifically pertaining to the homeless and poor; even though it covers mainstream news, though, it still openly advocates for "social justice" and attempts to educate readers about homelessness. Some readers, though, admit that they buy the paper more to help out and interact with the vendors than to actually read the contents; this pattern of buying is common among street newspapers. Part of the reason for the paper's going weekly in 2005 was to attract more readers and avoid being seen as a "charity buy" rather than a legitimate sources of news.Vendors
Anyone may apply to be a vendor for Real Change, although most vendors are poor or unable to hold a regular job because of mental illness, criminal records, or other issues. All vendors must sign a code of conduct. Vendors get the first 10 papers free when they sign up; after that they keep 65 cents for every dollar paper they sell. Harris, the paper's executive director, claims there are about 250 regular vendors, although there may be as many as 800 vendors in a year if occasional vendors are included.Several vendors are very successful, selling as many as 2,000 papers a month and being known as "fixtures" in the community; most, however, sell far less than that. Real Change vendors operate under a "turf system," under which vendors who sell over a certain number of papers per month get rights to sell at a certain spot; according to Harris, this system allows buyer-vendor relationships to build up and for vendors to become well known in particular communities, and can minimize conflict and competition between vendors. Most vendors sell within Seattle proper, although some sell in the Eastside
Eastside (King County, Washington)
File:Seattle-lakewashington-lakesammamish.PNG|250px|right|The Eastside is to the right of Seattle.# rough city boundariespoly 137 256 148 256 158 194 172 179 172 237 212 266 133 266Renton...
. Vendors may sell without restriction on sidewalks, but sometimes need to obtain a license to sell in commercial areas like malls.
Demographics
According to a 2003 survey of Real Change vendors, 63 percent of people selling Real Change were white; 74 percent were male; at least 83 percent were over the age of 38; and 45 percent had a physical disabilityPhysical disability
A physical disability is any impairment which limits the physical function of one or more limbs or fine or gross motor ability. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders and epilepsy....
(according to Harris, 63 percent do). Real Change's 2008 Annual Report shows that the percentage of vendors who are white has declined somewhat, to 56 percent; the percent who are male has declined very slightly to 71 percent; a different age breakdown shows 54 percent between ages 31 and 50, and 40 percent 51 or older; and 72 percent with a physical or mental disability.
Not all the vendors of Real Change are homeless at a given time; several are able to afford an apartment off the money they make from selling the paper, and others share accommodations with others. Like Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
's Street Sense
Street Sense (newspaper)
Street Sense is a Washington, D.C.-based 16-page bi-weekly street newspaper that was founded in 2003. Its mission is to raise public awareness on the issues of homelessness and poverty in the city and to create economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness...
and Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
's Street Roots
Street Roots
Street Roots is a biweekly street newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. The paper is sold by members of the local homeless community. The paper is published every two weeks on Fridays. Vendors receive 75 cents for every $1 paper they sell...
, Real Change does not screen incoming vendors for income or living situation, nor does it "retire" vendors after they have obtained stable housing. The paper's staff have stated, however, that the majority of vendors are living in poverty and no vendors are "living in the bling-bling" from selling papers. According to Real Change's 2008 Annual Report, 56 percent of vendors are currently homeless: 19 percent sleeping outside, 12 percent in shelters, 10 percent are "not housed, sleeping in multiple places," 7 percent "staying with friends or family", 4 percent are sleeping in cars; no detail was available on the rest. The vast bulk of those who are housed—36 percent of all vendors—are in subsidized housing. Only 7 percent of vendors have never been homeless.
External links
- Real Change News Homepage
- Real Change article on SeattleWiki
- Real Change Wikispace