Standard Operating Procedure

Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant responds via email to my posts here and here.

Here are some excerpts:

(W)e've been publishing 40,000 an issue for a while now -- our cartoons issue has the same press run as the previous issue. Our strategy has been to migrate from controlled and bulk circulation towards paid subscriptions, which are now about half of our total circulation. For example, as our paid subs have increased, we recently reduced our shipment to Air Canada from 7,000 to 5,000. Obviously, we hope to get those 5,000 back, but we have other high-value controlled or bulk circulation, too, and have already re-directed the 5,000 earmarked for Air Canada. Our next issue will have the same demographic value for advertisers.

<SNIP>

It's been an interesting few days; we've had to switch our four-person call centre from renewing subscriptions to handling the incoming phone calls. Calls are about 40:1 in our favour; many are people who have never heard of us before, and are impressed with our stand. It was a surprise to me to see how many Arab and Muslim Canadians have subscribed as a sign of solidarity with us. We have sold several hundred new subscriptions, which should make up for the one-time suspension of relatively small outlets like Chapters/Indigo, which usually only moves a few dozen copies for us. I think they were just caught by surprise more than anything, and panicked.

<SNIP>

Our website received 250,000 hits on Monday morning, and crashed; we've switched servers, and we're now quadrupling the traffic we had during the height of our election coverage. Good discussions; and no censorship on the blog comments. Free speech, you know.

<SNIP>

I think part of the hype -- example: CTV interviewed me three separate times on Monday -- was the result of the rest of the media's own pent-up interest in the story. We were a surrogate that allowed others to weigh in. You'd be amazed at the range of journalists who have privately e-mailed or phoned me with their compliments for our decision.

<SNIP>

One final note about your CanWest comment: when we were putting the magazine together just over two years ago, I did approach Israel Asper to invest in it; he declined, and he passed away before we launched. After we launched, we did a second share offering, and I pitched CanWest a minority stake. They declined again, but some 68 other investors accepted, and we are well-capitalized. Better yet, in the last two months we have cut our monthly losses in half, and we expect to see black ink this year.

Hmmm, the National Post is turning around. Maclean's is swerving right. And now black ink at the Western Standard?

What is this country coming to?

Comments

[PhantomObserver]

What is this country coming to?

Easy. We're going to be doing things "right" for a while.

[True North]

What is wrong with Torstar!
Why aren't they providing balance on a national basis.
Surely there's a readership that reflects the primarily progressive nature of this country.

[Guido]

It's called balance Antonia! Ever heard of it?

Guido

[Devon Foundation]

"Black ink"?
Only on their fingers. They have
to produce a certain number of issues and sizes
for tax and postal considerations.
Not to mention the economics of printing.
How is it in multiples of 16 pages (the basic
print and fold)?
There wasn't a need for Western Report, neither
is their a need for Ezra Levant, nor Western Standard.
Though we could say the same thing as
with Macleans.
Minerva's Owl anyone?
[Reference to the flourishing of a
culture just before the darkness after twilight]

[Bread]

Nuts To Cartoon Censorship

I agree...if we let the Muslims control what we publish they in effect become our censor…no thanks...not them or any other narrow-minded group.

All those who believe in free speech should buy a copy of the Western Standard that includes the cartoons. Expecting everyone to subscribe for a year is asking too much.

A simple solution for those who are offended...don't read it.

[Bill-Muskoka]

Seems Rabinovitch is not the only one seeking 'audacious' coverage?

Anone know where the School of Spin actually is? Is it on the web? They all seem to have gone there, eh?

[Bob]

Wait a second... the other week you pounced on "news" that the Post is going under. Now you're telling us it's turning around? Which is it?

I didn't give Kinsella too much credit for that column of his, but maybe I should...

[Antonia]

Please keep up with the program, Bob.

I have been predicting that Post would survive since last September. But I had a journalistic duty to follow up on that tip last week which came from a good source. Just doing the job. I could not ignore it. What if it was true??

That said, pay no attention to what Kinsella wrote about that. He was just kissing Ass-per at my expense -- and did it tongue in cheek.*

(No pun intended.)

[Jay Currie]

"What is this country coming to?"

Short answer: its senses.

Longer answer: the end of the era of "social consensus", political correctness and the influence of Maude Barlow et al. When Keith Spicer popped out of the bunker and found "There is an anger in this land" twenty years back, deepest Annex and its extension by the Rideau pulled the covers over its collective head and hoped the anger would go away. It didn't.

What happened was that the term progressive shifted meaning. It used to signify a one size fits all federalism in which the central government knew best. It used to mean that government was seen as the solution. That has changed radically. Now progressives are on the right advocating radical decentralization and handing back power and tax dollars to individuals.

Adscam and the gross and illegal interference of the federal government in Quebec's politics, the willingness of the Matinites to ignore the constitution to cling to power, the endless willingness to bribe voters with their own money, have left the Liberal party broke and scorned by Canadians. The NDP has been entranced by identity politics to the exclusion of its working class roots.

The Tories, having pandered their way to power, are now the most interesting game in town. And, naturally enough, even MSM is swinging round to the policy debates which will be shaping the Tory future. To that end, magazines like Ezra's will become increasingly influential. A readable Mcleans - without the tiresome political correctness - is winning back a readership. It is too soon to tell if the Aspers will buy a clue and realize that positioning the National Post on the now discredited right wing of the Liberal Party is not quite cutting it.

Ultimately, the slow sea change in Canadian politics, the final death of Trudeautopia, will bring about a fundamental shift in the media.

Plus, and this is going to become increasingly important, the ease with which ordinary citizens can publish material to the net means that MSM has both lost its monopoly on information and is being held to account for what it does publish. While there may still be room for dull old lefties like Salutin, Margolis and Mallick, increasingly these dinos are going to be ridiculed off the page by bright lights like Bob Tarantino.

For a long time the chattering classes gave lefty journos a pass when they got their history, economics, law and quotes wrong and, because of the nature of media control in Canada, that was the end of the story. That era is over.

Combine that with the complete loss of direction at the CBC, the dwindling of the mass television and newspaper audience and the rise of internet driven alternative media and you have a radical change in the way Canadians recieve their news and form their opinions.

A quarter million hits on the Western Standard suggests the magnitude of that change.

[Antonia]

Dull old leftie??

Sniff.

Way to make a girl feel after her birthday.

Thanks Jay.

[Paul Wells]

Zesty zingy leftie, shurely.

[Jay Currie]

I left you off the list...leftie, sure. Dull and old: never!

Happy birthday.

[Mark Francis]

"the ease with which ordinary citizens can publish material to the net means that MSM has both lost its monopoly on information"

I note that this information still tends to be heavily sourced from the MSM. I see no change coming in that regard. I certainly find an incredible lack of accuracy in the blogosphere, and some utterly bizare values at times (anti-Muslim cartoons 'good', photos of American torutre and abuse 'bad').

Not to get into a dissertation, but the coming resource exhaustion in this world will generate yet another revolution in due time, discrediting our entire current economic basis.

[Ti-Guy]

What is this country coming to in terms of its media? For some, it seems to be the confounding of useful information and insight delivered by in-depth reporting and careful commentary with banal sentationalism and vocal pontification motivated by barely-disguised political agendas, all being celebrated under the banners of greater choice, freedom from the straight-jacket of political correctness and the elimination of the "tyranny of social concensus."

Essentially, it's the confusion between quantity and quality, between balance and polarisation, between entertainment and inforomation and the substitution of time-intensive critical thought with immediate and emotional (over)reaction. And it's leading to larger numbers of people being inadequately informed about the things they should be and being disengaged from active citizenship.

In other words, nothing good. :)

The winds of change may be blowing in favor of THE WESTERN STANDARD.

Case in point: the last issue was sold out at my convenience store in deepest, darkest Cabbagetown here in unrepentantly Liberal Toronto. This is a store that sells loto tickets, stale potoato chips, overpriced soft drinks...and lots of newspapers and magazines. On a couple of previous occasions, I ponied up a staggering $5.70 just to see what the forces of darkness were up to.

I wasn't overly impressed with the magazine: amateurish production values, lots of cranky columnists., an overdose of indgnation, beaucoups cheesy ads from obscure investment comapnies...but not much in the way of news or policy ideas. Kinda reminded me of a student newspaper: heavy on raised middle-finger attitude, light on maturity or positive alternatives. THE WEEKLY STANDARD is much more substantive, and fun.

Still, Ezra has a talent for self-promotion and cheekiness. So, this week, I held my nose and mailed in my subscription. (But I draw the line at the week-long cruise. What's second prize: a two week cruise?)

If Ezra wre smart, he'd offer a media discount rate, as the CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR does. The twist could be getting the magazine almost free, but having to put up with Ezra's haranguing emails in return.

Whaddya say, Ezra? And if you accept this idea...and I de-cloak... do I get a Libranos T-shirt in return?

[vinb]

Pun enjoyed, Antonia, intended or not.

Jay Currie, with respect: Heather Mallick was the most scintillating stylist in Canadian newspapers. No dull on that dino.

[Antonia]

Back to your comments Jay about Salutin, Margolis and Mallick. Personally, I am a fan of all three. Salutin, despite his dour demeanour, is a very clever writer, But Margolis, unlike Tarantino (whom I now consider a bud), is actually out there. He's been there, done that. He has contacts. He's not just sitting here in Toronto firing off posts, as brilliant as they may be, from a spare bedroom office.

[amj]

You don't have to like, enjoy, or agree with what Margolis, Salutin, or Mallick say, but dull? Please. And thanks for the chuckle ;)

[Jay Currie]

LOL...I completely agree, Margolis is indeed out there.

[Diana-Marie]

Anyone spot this snippet on P.7 in the Star today?
Not on website, goes as follows:
The Western Standard magazine, already under fire for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, has stirred more controversy by quoting an unnamed provincial Conservative source as saying Premier Ralph Klein's wife will be "just another Indian" when he retires.
Publisher Ezra Levant said the magazine is simply reporting remarks that reveal the frustration of some Tories over Klein's decision to remain on the job for at least another year. The premier's press secretary Marisa Etmanski said the Kleins have decided not to ask the magazine for an apology or any other remedial action. Klein's wife Colleen is Metis.
(From Star staff and wire services)

[Jinoole]

"But Margolis, unlike Tarantino (whom I now consider a bud), is actually out there. He's been there, done that. He has contacts. He's not just sitting here in Toronto firing off posts, as brilliant as they may be, from a spare bedroom office."

I was terribly saddened when Tvo's Diplomatic Immunity program dumped Eric Margolis, a very coherent man. He is a fine writer, too. That was when I stopped watching that public channel altogether, and I am sure a heck lot more did likewise. The man spiced up that program, and indeed put the Israeli apologists such as Janice Stein in their place. Alas, they dumped him because [wink wink] his views weren't popular with certain influencial people who control a significant media organizations.

[arthurdecco]

"LOL...I completely agree, Margolis is indeed out there."

Posted by: Jay Currie

Until I read this post I thought you had some actual insight to offer up to the rest of us, Mr. Currie.

It's dissappointing, to say the least, to find out you're as incapable of moving beyond your own set of inflexible and unreasonable talking points as any other winger.

[wonderdog]

"...relatively small outlets like Chapters/Indigo, which usually only moves a few dozen copies for us."

Oh, God, I'm rolling on the floor at that one.

If the biggest bookstore chain in the country normally only moves a few dozen copies, doesn't that speak volumes re the magazine's newsstand appeal?

To me, that's as good as an admission that the magazine's circulation growth is stalled, and Levant needs to pull publicity stunts like publishing these cartoons to grow it.

D.B. Scott, are you reading?

[Flea]

"The Tories, having pandered their way to power, are now the most interesting game in town. And, naturally enough, even MSM is swinging round to the policy debates which will be shaping the Tory future."

I love the confidence with which you make these proclamations, Jay. So how did that 50 Tory seat projection work out for you?

[Bill-Muskoka]

HEY! EZRA! here is your BIG chance to sell lots of your rag!

"Queen's Park cartoon rally on Sunday" per today's Star. The rally will begin at 1PM.

What a great opportunity for Ezra to show how much upport his rag really has. Better load up the trucks Ezra, and hire more people to handle the massive sales.

Come on now, let's put you to a real world test!

Exercise your freedumb of expression like the man you are!