The New York Times program that allows donors to sponsor a digital subscriptions for high school students had a big first week.
Since its debut on Feb. 9, the program has collected enough money to sponsor 209,000 subscriptions, according to a company release.
A subscription accessible only at school costs the company $2. For a subscription with access at school and at home, the fee is $4. The Times is matching contributions dollar-for-dollar.
Donations so far have ranged from $4 to $20,000. And even though the program is only for high schools in the United States, The Times reports that more than 100 contributions have come from abroad.
Sponsors cannot direct which schools get subscriptions; The Times has said that in making arrangements, it will give priority to schools that have requested subscriptions but lack funds.
The message of the program is clear: It urges prospective donors to “support the mission of The Times.”
A contribution is a two-fer: “The sponsor a subscription program supports Times independent journalism and communities across the country by empowering the next generation of readers.”
As it did at the launch a week ago, The Times reminds readers, “The program is a direct response to the numerous unsolicited contributions and offers to purchase large volumes of subscriptions that The Times has received from its readers since November 2016.”
In other words, since Election Day of last year.
