The weekly Washington City Paper, regarded as an "alternative" title, has been touched by the loyalty of its readers as it fights off a potentially destructive lawsuit.
The owner of the city's football team, the Washington Redskins, is suing the paper for a cover story, headlined "The cranky Redskins fan's guide to Dan Snyder," that he claims defamed him.
When the news broke, readers began to send in money to offset the litigation fees. Sadly, the donations from the paper's 72,000 regular buyers have been small and the total stands at a mere $31,000.
"That's not going to get the City Paper all the way through the case," says the paper's lawyer.
But the existence of the fund has boosted staff morale. "It's nice to be reminded that we are a piece of the local culture that people cherish," says editor Michael Schaffer.
With annual revenue just shy of $5m, the paper is very concerned by the mounting legal fees.
Source: New York Times
