US Postal Service to raise postage rates for smaller publications

The US Postal Service has accepted a proposal from Time Warner to raise postage rates significantly for smaller publications while reducing rates for larger publishers like Hearst and Time Warner. A coalition of smaller, independent media, including Free Press, a national non-partisan organization working to reform media, and the Media Consortium, including Ms., magazine, Mother Jones, The Nation, American Prospect, The Progressive, In These Times, and other independent media, are working to send a massive number of letters to the Postal Service and Congress protesting this postage hike.

Time Warner’s plan was chosen — with no public input — instead of another proposal that would have imposed a mostly equal increase (approx. 12 percent) for all magazine publishers. If implemented, the Time Warner plan could force many smaller publications out of business, according to Free Press.

The US Postal Service is currently accepting comments on the postage change. Free Press, Ms., and other groups are working to collect thousands of comments calling on Congress to step in and reverse the postage hike.