We can’t have everything for free
When Hakai Magazine announced that it is ceasing at the end of this year a few weeks ago, readers around the world expressed their shock and sadness across social media.
For those who haven’t heard of Hakai Magazine, it provides excellent coverage of ocean and coastal stories. I’ve been one of many writers who’ve had the privilege of writing for them in the past, and one of the many more readers who’ve benefited from their reporting.
The reason for the closure is finances. Hakai Magazine was funded by the Tula Foundation for ten years. Back in March, Hakai Magazine and the Tula Foundation announced funding was ceasing. Hakai Magazine then launched a membership - a monthly or annual donation to support the publication.
We know from Hakai Magazine’s social media that they had at least 300 members donate by early April when they pushed to reach 500 by April 15. We didn’t hear anymore, so we don’t know if they managed to reach that figure. We also don’t know how much money was donated in total.
Perhaps we can conclude that it wasn’t enough. Or perhaps other funding options being explored didn’t come to fruition, or both.
Hakai Magazine is just one of many publications to fall due to finances. While Hakai Magazine’s push for memberships didn’t come at an economically ideal time, publications have seen a downturn in subscriptions for years. Advertising revenue has also dropped.
The Hakai Magazine team are still looking for options to continue their work (likely under a new name). Their success may very well depend on whether or not they find a funder or other viable option.
Nothing operates without costs, and we can’t expect others to always step up and fund things and keep them free to use for us. At some point, if we aren’t willing to put our hands in our pockets and support the services that we benefit from, we can’t expect to have them forever.
Whatever happens, I wish the Hakai Magazine team all the very best.
➡️ Read the announcement from Hakai Magazine
