Sometimes we hear that advertising with OutSFL is too expensive.
We get it.
Times are tough. Margins are tight. Small businesses are struggling with rising costs, and every dollar matters. We know that because we're a small business, too.
We understand why an advertiser might compare our rates with another publication, website or social media platform and wonder why we're more expensive.
Because we're not just selling advertising. We're supporting a newsroom.
OutSFL is a real news organization. We have a team of freelancers who bring our community the news, stories and information it deserves.
We cover local government, elections, LGBTQ businesses, nonprofits, artists and community leaders. We celebrate our community's achievements, document its struggles and ask difficult questions when those in power need to be held accountable.
That work costs money. And we want to do more.
Frankly, many of the talented people who make it possible work for far less than they're worth.
Why?
Because they believe in journalism. They believe in telling LGBTQ stories. And they believe South Florida deserves a strong, independent queer news organization.
But dedication doesn't pay the bills. Neither does passion.
We still have to pay writers, print newspapers, maintain a website and distribute our publications.
We're not suggesting other advertising platforms don't have value. They absolutely do. Different businesses have different needs, and price matters.
But consider what those advertising dollars support.
For example, when you advertise on Facebook or Instagram, that money goes to Meta, a corporation worth more than a trillion dollars. Sure, those platforms can help you reach customers. But those dollars aren't paying a local reporter to cover City Hall or helping sustain an independent community newspaper.
Now imagine applying that same thinking to everything.
What if we stopped shopping locally because Amazon was cheaper? Abandoned neighborhood restaurants for national chains? Outsourced everything to giant corporations or overseas manufacturers simply because they offered the lowest price?
Eventually, what would be left?
No neighborhood shops. No independent restaurants. No locally owned newspapers. Just corporate brands competing for our dollars while fewer of those dollars stay in our communities.
Is that the kind of community you want to live in?
Local businesses employ our neighbors, support nonprofits, sponsor events and give our communities character. Local journalism is part of that same ecosystem.
When you advertise with OutSFL, you're helping ensure someone is there to cover a city commission meeting, investigate a controversy or tell the story of an LGBTQ person whose voice might otherwise go unheard.
Of course, businesses need results. They need customers. They need their advertising dollars spent wisely.
We believe OutSFL offers that opportunity by connecting businesses with a local LGBTQ audience through a publication built around the people and issues that matter to them.
We're not asking businesses to advertise with us out of charity. We're asking them to consider what their money supports.
If you don't own a business but work for one, encourage your employer to advertise with us. Take a look through these pages. The businesses advertising here are supporting local LGBTQ journalism. Let's return the favor by supporting them.
We know not every business can afford to advertise with OutSFL. We respect that. And we appreciate every business that supports us, regardless of its budget.
But when someone says our rates are higher, we hope they'll consider why.
Behind that advertisement is a reporter covering a story. A freelancer interviewing a source. An editor checking facts. A newspaper being printed and distributed.
Behind that advertisement is journalism.
And journalism is worth paying for.
