Real Change

{{Infobox newspaper

| name = Real Change

| image = Real Change Logo.jpg

| caption =

| type = Weekly street newspaper

| format = Compact

| foundation = 1994

| ceased publication =

| price = USD $2.00

| founder = Tim Harris

| political position = Homeless advocacy

| publisher =

| editor =

| managing director = Shelley Dooley

| circulation = 13,000 weekly (2019){{Cite news|url=https://nextcity.org/features/view/the-paper-on-the-street|title=The Paper on the Street|last=Vande Panne|first=Valerie|date=May 27, 2019|website=nextcity.org|language=en|access-date=2019-11-24|quote=The paper has 16 staffers and a $1.2 million annual budget, with a weekly circulation of 13,000 copies}}

| headquarters =

| website = [http://www.realchangenews.org/ realchangenews.org]

}}

Real Change is a weekly progressive street newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, USA written by professional staff and sold by self-employed vendors, many of whom are homeless. The paper provides them with an alternative to panhandling and covers a variety of social justice issues, including homelessness and poverty.{{cite news |title=Honorary Political Genius: Tim Harris and Real Change |author=Dominic Holden |publisher=The Stranger |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/tim-harris-and-real-change/Content?oid=4887748 |date=16 September 2010}} 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 with an annual budget of $950,000.{{cite news |title=Real Change defends donation to anti-tunnel effort |author=Emily Heffter |publisher=Seattle Times |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2015485844_pro-tunnel_campaign_says_real.html |date=1 July 2011}}

History and Circulation

Real Change has been published by the Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project since 1994;{{cite web | title=Real Change History | url=http://realchange.wikispaces.com/page/view/History/19101075 | publisher=Real Change | date=10 March 2008 | accessdate=21 March 2009 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120716083937/http://realchange.wikispaces.com/page/view/History/19101075 | archivedate=16 July 2012 }} the paper's founder, Tim Harris, founded the Spare Change News street newspaper in the Boston area in 1992. After moving to Seattle in 1994, he started Real Change{{cite web |url=http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=25992 |title=KUOW 94.9 FM Seattle interview, The Conversation |date=15 Feb 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603175023/http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=25992 |archivedate=2012-06-03 }}roughly at 10:30 into interview as a monthly paper with only one staff member. Later, the paper started producing every other week.

In February 2005, Real Change began publishing weekly due to increasing interest and sales,{{cite news | url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/210355_realchange02.html | date=2 February 2005 | accessdate=21 March 2009 | title=Real Change expands to become first weekly street paper | work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | last=Harrell | first=Debera Carlton }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} making it the second street newspaper in the country to do so.StreetWise, a Chicago street newspaper, went weekly in 1998. ({{cite book | last=Green | first=Norma Fay | title=Print Culture in a Diverse America | year=1998 | others=eds. James Philip Danky, Wayne A. Wiegand | publisher=University of Illinois Press | isbn=978-0-252-06699-3 | chapter=Chicago's StreetWise at the Crossroads: A Case Study of a Newspaper to Empower the Homeless in the 1990s | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vqtgo0Zi0jEC&dq=%22street+newspapers%22&pg=PA48 | page=51}}

) In addition to becoming a weekly newspaper, it hired several professional journalists shifting its focus to become a broadly progressive alternative paper. As a biweekly, it sold 18,000 copies every two weeks; and now has a weekly circulation of 16,000 papers. In April 2013, the paper's price increased from one dollar to two dollars and was the sixth street newspaper to do so.{{cite news|last=Brill|first=Linda|title=Real Change newspaper's price hike a boost for vendors .|url=http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle/Real-Change-Price-Change-203702351.html|accessdate=20 April 2013|newspaper=KING 5 News|date=18 April 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424050142/http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle/Real-Change-Price-Change-203702351.html|archivedate=24 April 2013}}

In 2012, it sold 872,562 copies and raised $957,949: 68.42 percent from donations and grants; 31.26 percent from circulation, advertising and subscriptions; and 0.32 percent from other sources.{{cite news|title=Real Change: 2012 Annual Report|newspaper=Real Change|date=13 March 2013}} As of 2017, it has a yearly circulation of 550,000 copies and sales account for 30 percent of the $1.2 million budget; beginning in 2019, vendors are able to take payment using the Venmo app.{{cite news |last=Doughton |first=Sandi |authorlink=Sandi Doughton |date=January 10, 2019 |title=Real Change: How Seattle's street newspaper plans to survive in the digital age |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/real-change-how-seattles-street-newspaper-plans-to-survive-in-the-digital-age/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 10, 2019}}

The topics covered in Real Change are a mixture of progressive local news and information specifically pertaining to the homeless and poor. Though it covers local news, 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;{{cite news | last=Green | first=Sara Jean | title=Real Change's transformation includes plan to reach readers | work=Seattle Times | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20050201/homeless01m/real-changes-transformation-includes-plan-to-reach-readers | date=1 February 2005 | access-date=21 March 2009}} this pattern of buying is common among street newspapers.{{cite web|url=http://www.rrj.ca/issue/2002/summer/373/ |year=2002 |accessdate=12 February 2009 |last=Brown |first=Ann M. |title=Small Papers, Big Issues |work=Ryerson Review of Journalism |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911030448/http://www.rrj.ca/issue/2002/summer/373/ |archivedate=September 11, 2007 }}{{cite journal | journal=Discourse and Society | volume=12 | issue=3 | title=Voices of Homeless People in Street Newspapers: A Cross-Cultural Exploration | last=Torck | first=Danièle | year=2001 | pages=271–392 [372] | doi=10.1177/0957926501012003005 | s2cid=145648624 }}{{cite book | last=Green | first=Norma Fay | title=Print Culture in a Diverse America | year=1998 | others=eds. James Philip Danky, Wayne A. Wiegand | publisher=University of Illinois Press | isbn=978-0-252-06699-3 | chapter=Chicago's StreetWise at the Crossroads: A Case Study of a Newspaper to Empower the Homeless in the 1990s | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vqtgo0Zi0jEC&dq=%22street+newspapers%22&pg=PA48 | page=40}} Part of the reason for the paper becoming a weekly publication in 2005 was to attract more readers and move the newspaper's image from a "charity buy" to a legitimate source of news.

Vendors

File:Robert of Real Change.jpg

Anyone may be a Real Change vendor. However, most are poor or unable to hold a regular job due to physical disability, mental illness, criminal records, or other issues. After attending an orientation and signing a code of conduct, Vendors get their first 10 papers free.{{cite web | url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-04-11/news/not-all-the-peddlers-of-seattle-s-homeless-paper-are-homeless.php | work=Seattle Weekly | title=Not All the Peddlers of Seattle's Homeless Paper Are Homeless | last=Hsu | first=Huan | date=10 April 2007 | accessdate=14 March 2009}} They then buy the paper for sixty cents and sell it for two dollars keeping the difference, plus any tips.{{cite web | url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2005-08-03/arts/best-grassroots-media-outlet.php | work=Seattle Weekly | last=Dawdy | first=Philip | title=Best Grassroots Media Outlet | date=3 August 2005 | accessdate=21 March 2009}} The paper has an average of 350 to 400 active vendors each month{{cite web|title=2011 Annual Report|url=http://realchangenews.org/images/uploads/site_images/2011_AnnualReport.pdf|publisher=Real Change|accessdate=9 January 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007115218/http://realchangenews.org/images/uploads/site_images/2011_AnnualReport.pdf|archivedate=7 October 2014}} and there as many as 800 vendors in a year, if occasional vendors are included.

Most vendors sell within Seattle proper, although some sell in the Eastside, as far north as Bellingham, and as far south as Olympia, WA. Vendors may sell without restriction on sidewalks and public spaces, and sometimes need to obtain permission to sell in commercial areas like malls. Several vendors are very successful, selling as many as 2,000 papers a month and being known as "fixtures" in the community, however most sell far less than that.{{cite web | url=http://apesmaslament.blogspot.com/2007/04/seattle-weekly-what-fuck.html | title=Seattle Weekly: What the Fuck? | last=Harris | first=Tim | date=5 April 2007 | accessdate=21 March 2009}} Real Change's "turf system" allows vendors selling over 300 papers per month to have priority at certain spots;{{cite web|author=Erica|title=Sandra Sells Social Scoop by the Safeway|url=http://ericawebster.wordpress.com/|accessdate=13 January 2013}} according to Harris, this system allows buyer-vendor relationships to grow and for vendors to become well known in communities, and can minimize conflict and competition between vendors.

Not all the vendors of Real Change are homeless, several are able to afford an apartment by selling the paper and others share accommodations with others. Like Washington, D.C.'s Street Sense, 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.

Awards

2004:

:*Susan Hutchison Bosch Award for outstanding achievement{{cite news|title=P-I wins 25 regional journalism awards|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/P-I-wins-25-regional-journalism-awards-1144929.php|accessdate=10 January 2013|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=16 May 2004}}

2006:

:*First place, personalities{{cite web|title=Excellence in Journalism Competition 2006|url=http://www.spjwash.org/downloads/SPJ06awards.pdf|publisher=Society of Professional Journalists Western Washington Pro Chapter|accessdate=14 January 2013}}

2008:

:*Best feature writing{{cite web|title=Society of Professional Journalists {{!}} Sigma Delta Chi Awards|url=http://www.spj.org/sdxa08.asp|publisher=Society of Professional Journalists|accessdate=10 January 2013}}{{cite news|last=O'Hagan|first=Maureen|title=Real Change newspaper wins national award, attracts readers|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009079250_realchange18m.html|accessdate=13 January 2013|newspaper=Seattle Times|date=18 April 2009}}

:*First place, general news reporting{{cite web|title=SPJ 09|url=http://www.spjwash.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/spj09_awards1.pdf|publisher=2009 Society of Professional Journalists of the Pacific Northwest|accessdate=13 January 2013}}

:*First place, social issues

:*First place, minorities

:*Third place, humorous writing

:*Honorable mention, personalities

2009:

:*First place, educational reporting{{cite news|title=SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism awards|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2011932304_apwaspjpacificnorthwestawards.html|accessdate=10 January 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times via The Associated Press|date=22 May 2010}}

:*First place, social issues reporting

:*First place, Arts reporting and criticism

2011:

:*First place, education news{{cite web|title=2011winners_order|url=http://www.washingtonpressassociation.com/Files/2011winners_order.pdf|publisher=washington press association|accessdate=13 January 2013}}

:*First place, consumer affairs news

:*Third place, social issues, religion, minority affairs

:*Third place, personality profile

2012:

:*First place, general news coverage{{cite web|title=2012 SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest|url=http://blogs.spjnetwork.org/region10/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2012-SPJ-NW-Excellence-in-Journalism-Contest-Awards-Booklet.pdf|publisher=Society of Professional Journalists|accessdate=12 June 2013}}

:*First place, lifestyle reporting

:*First place, page design

:*Second place, government and politics reporting

:*Second place, feature photography

:*Third place, page design

2013:

:*First place, general news coverage{{cite web|title=2013 SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest|url=http://blogs.spjnetwork.org/region10/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2013spjresults.pdf|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20141218143525/http://blogs.spjnetwork.org/region10/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2013spjresults.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2014|publisher=Society of Professional Journalists|accessdate=12 June 2013}}

:*First place, government and politics reporting

:*First place, education reporting

:*First place, page design

:*Second place, page design

:*Second place, social issues reporting

:*Second place, general excellence

:*Third place, sports reporting