Street papers Bucking the Trend

Street newspaper sales have increased across the world for a second year, helping alleviate poverty for tens of thousands of poor and homeless vendors, according to new figures released by the Scottish-based International Network of Street Papers (INSP.) The announcement, which coincided with the launch of INSP’s new ‘Vote for Dignity’ campaign, showed that the more than 100 publications sold by homeless people across the world now have a combined readership per edition of 6.2 million, up some 160,000 from 2010. The increase runs counter to the downward sales trend experienced by many mainstream
newspapers. INSP officials attributed the success to the street press model, which combines independent journalism and social support to aid some of the world’s poorest people. Lisa Maclean, executive director of INSP, said: “Street press offers dignified employment and social support to tens of thousands of people experiencing homeless and poverty in 40 countries,” said Lisa Maclean, executive director of INSP. “ It is also a wonderful source of quality, independent journalism. Street press is in a unique position to uncover untold stories and share the perspectives of people and issues not typically discussed in the mainstream press. And it reaches out to an incredible 6 million people across the globe every edition. In the coming year, we will stay ahead of the game by exploring a range of exciting new initiatives, including a global digital project.”