Rhode Island magazine runs out of Options
by Joe Siegel
Options, Rhode Island’s all-volunteer LGBT newsmagazine, has suspended publication due to financial problems.
Kyle McKendall, the magazine’s executive director, made the announcement in a letter to subscribers earlier this month.
McKendall said the move was made because of a lack of funds and volunteers. “Despite the growth we’ve seen in readers and revenue over the past three years, we continue to struggle with maintaining the resources needed operate at a level that is expected by readers and advertisers,” McKendall wrote.
“Roles that need to be filled in order for Options to function include a manager of advertising, distribution, website, social media, art/photography, and billing as well as finding more writers, editors, and copyeditors to get involved,” McKendall added.
Over the next few months, McKendall worte, leaders will “evaluate the state of the organization, attempt to identify opportunities for financial growth that will provide stability, and gauge interest and support levels from readers. The board and the volunteers who produce Options each month want it to prosper, but our future is uncertain and we need more help.”
McKendall also announced his resignation from his position as president of the magazine’s board of directors.
This past May, the Options staff held a lavish party to mark the 35th anniversary of the publication. McKendall was ebullient about the magazine’s “new momentum” such as an increased subscription rate, adding that the volunteers who write, proofread, and distribute Options all over the state were the magazine’s “lifeline.”
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Volume 19
Issue 4
