E. Support the Free Press: As part of a comprehensive “Support the Free Press” campaign, The Seattle Times ran an extended outdoor campaign highlighting the value of a free press as vital to democracy, worth supporting with a subscription because “the free press isn’t free.” Billboards, transit ads and newspaper vending racks used a simple design and straightforward, provocative statements promoting The Seattle Times’ unique position as one of the last remaining independent daily newspapers in the United States.
The campaign resulted in a significant surge in new subscriptions. In customer surveys, “supporting local journalism” emerged as one of the top reasons for subscribing. One of the billboards garnered notable attention on Twitter: 2016 independent presidential candidate and former CIA officer Evan McMullin posted a photo of the billboard reading “Our independence depends on an independent press” with the words “a welcomed reminder from the @seattletimes” to his 438,000 followers in a Tweet that was liked 550,000 times.
