Zambia Weekly closing downDear Subscriber,
Today, Zambia Weekly should have resumed, but instead I’m emailing you to inform you of its closure. This has not been an easy decision, but it is necessitated by several considerations.
I started Zambia Weekly in April 2010 with the intention to offer an unbiased overview of news in Zambia. What started as a small publication grew to reach more than 10,000 readers by this time last year.
During those six years we tried – but failed – to make ends meet through advertising. We have always struggled to attract advertisers due to a combination of things. First of all we were amongst the first electronic media in a market customised to traditional print media. More importantly, however, many companies expressed concerns about advertising in Zambia Weekly due to our willingness to call a spade a spade.
Last year we therefore made the decision to try out paid subscriptions. We did expect a drop in subscribers, but did not anticipate how few people were willing to pay for Zambia Weekly. Today, we have 650 paid subscribers – although the number of actual readers is larger, as many institutional subscribers are sharing our PDF newsletter internally. All in all, this adds up to an unsustainable financial situation.
In addition, the current political climate is posing a challenge to our existence. As you know, our website has been closed down since May 2017 following repeated hacking. The attacks were of such an aggressive nature that it raised questions about the perpetrators. After all, government is not exactly embracing critical press.
Thus, I have taken the decision to close down Zambia Weekly. What will replace it remains to be seen, but suggestions are always welcome, as I'm looking for new ventures.
Many of you have active subscriptions, and we will obviously refund you. Refunds will be calculated on a pro-rata basis for the unexpired period of subscription, and paid to local bank accounts upon receipt of approved claims sent by email to
Thank you to all of you, many of whom have supported us right from the beginning!
Warm regards,
Camilla
Camilla Hebo Buus
Editor-in-Chief
Zambia Weekly
Mobile: +260 977 461 877
Email:
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