May 24, 2006
I met Marilyn, perfectly dressed and wearing her lipstick, on a late Friday afternoon. And Mike, who ponders with his head in his hands. There were the Blake brothers, looking worried and stressed with their parents on a well-earned vacation to Italy. And Jimmy and Gretchen sitting quietly, soaking up every word. Beverly was friendly but worried about her livelihood. There was Angie, a hard-nosed businesswoman with a great tan.
I had never met these people until a group of Jackson's independent publishers all crowded into a borrowed conference room in Fondren Corner to talk about how the Gannett Corp., and its local affiliate, The Clarion-Ledger, was trying to hurt our businesses.
It was fitting that we first met in a building where the JFP has helped host many artistic Fondren events, a building where The Clarion-Ledger's Weekend box was at that moment sitting in front of Rooster's sideways because the company had not taken the time to weight it down with sand (at the JFP, an intern would report such a problem; I doubt that a Ledger editor would notice). I often look at Gannett's exploding stable of "free" plastic boxes and racks, a bit jealous at all the resources they have that we don't, the money that could go into creating an amazing daily newspaper in Jackson, Miss. If only they would.
But the Gannett Corp. has told us that we can no longer distribute the JFP in front of Rooster's. We are being evicted, it seems, because we are not willing to, nor can afford to, pay the world's largest newspaper corporation $8 a month per box to continue to be available to our friends who live and work in that building. Or in hundreds of locations around the city, many where people go every week to pick up the JFP without fail. Or to pick up Beverly's American Classifieds, or Mike's Apartment Guide, or Marilyn's Christian magazine.
The Gannett Corp. is throwing all of us out of our best distribution spots because we are too small, or too stubborn, or too proud, or too smart to believe that we can survive as an afterthought in one of their new, huge, ugly plastic boxes with their logos and windows too small to display our covers. We got our eviction letter last Friday, as did our new partners in the Mississippi Independent Publishers Alliance. They ordered our eviction only days after we learned that they had distributed a sheet with all of our names listed, saying we were "accepted" publications. The businesses could choose from the list, they were told, if they signed onto the plan. They each would get 25 percent of Gannett's take—but they did not know that none of us had signed on.
Goliath hadn't bothered to come to us before taking these actions that will hurt our businesses, telling us after the fact that we have no choice. It's their way or the highway.
But we intend to fight. We are telling our readers the story, and asking for your support. Beverly Smith and the Blake family even published open letters this week—something you don't often see in classified publications.
"We are a locally owned family business that was built on and stands firm on customer satisfaction," wrote Chris Blake. Chris was the young man who busted us up during our first meeting by saying his parents would come home and "ground me" if he didn't handle this thing right. (He was kidding.)
Every alliance member is a hard worker and contributes to our economy. These people have families, and they have built ground-up relationships with clients and businesses with investments of shoe-leather and elbow grease. They are shining examples of the American dream. Some of them started on a kitchen table just like we did. They are leaders in their churches; their families are Real Mississippians. And, now, thanks to an arrogant scheme by a mammoth corporation, every one of us is fighting for our livelihood.
This isn't right.
Clarion-Ledger Publisher John Newhouse, who was transferred in a few months ago, stated last week that free publications popping up are a "concern for all of us"; thus he offers to clean us all up. He didn't mention that Gannett owns more free publications, more of the "clutter," than any other company here. And they haven't exactly gotten around to putting the sand in the box in the past.
He also claims a "benefit" for publishers. Read my lips: There isn't one. And if this plan was developed to help all us little guys, why weren't we told about it at a friendly meeting before they started using our names without permission to sell it to businesses? Why didn't they ask for our input? Our "concerns"? Because it's about them, and only them.
Please join us as we take our stand. A Jackson State professor is passing around petitions from our Web site. Citizens are writing letters and e-mails to Gannett. Readers are asking businesses to keep distributing us. JFP editor JoAnne Morris is handing out papers house to house on her street. Your voice matters in this fight, and it's about more than continuing to get your JFP or American Classifieds at the Piggly Wiggly on Meadowbrook (a key spot that Todd and I replenish every weekend, and chat with the security guard). It's about helping preserve the free market and local voices that make Mississippi special.
Don't stop with MIPA members. Renew your efforts to support all local businesses—whether it's buying your groceries and your beer at McDade's, more books at Lemuria or Choctaw, your jeans and handbags at Chane's stores, your bargains at Mississippi-owned Hudson's rather than Wal-Mart. Every local business deserves your support for rolling up their shirt sleeves and fighting the corporate odds in today's world. Help them. Help us.
Needless to say, the people in the newly formed alliance don't agree on every issue. But we stand together on the principles that Mississippians have been known to get a bit testy over in the past: Don't try to silence us. Don't trample on our rights. Don't treat us like we're stupid. Don't try to roll the corporate steamroller through our state for your own good while telling us it's for ours.
And for the love of God and country, don't trot in from up north somewhere and try to throw our printing presses down a well.
To learn ways to help, see our citizens' action guide at The Goliath Blog.
Previous Commentsshow
What's this?More like this story
More stories by this author
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.