By Kevin Hollett
Photo by Todd Macfie

At one time homeless and battling a drinking problem, Megaphone helped changed Peter Thompson’s life.

“Selling the paper got me on a different path, where I could look forward instead of back,” says the Downtown Eastside resident. “It got my mind going and I could try and get myself back on the right track.”

Thompson and Megaphone are part of an international movement that is changing thousands of lives around the world—there are more than 100 different street papers in 40 countries. They have become increasingly popular because they provide employment opportunities to homeless and low-income people while offering under-covered international and local news to readers.

“There is a growing need for street newspapers across the country to provide important job opportunities and job skills to individuals who might not be able to acquire them elsewhere,” explains Andy Freeze, executive director of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA), which boasts 28 members (six in Canada).

Freeze says that in these times of economic and employment hardship, it is more important than ever that cities have strong street papers to catch people before they fall through the cracks.

The papers are sold to the vendor at or below cost, who then sells them to customers for a profit. This puts the responsibility on the vendor to manage their finances and build a customer base. Vendors also decide their own hours and where to sell. It’s a model for self-sufficiency that vendors can transfer to other parts of their lives, and it helps build the self-esteem needed to tackle their other problems, such as homelessness and addiction.

A key factor in street papers’ success is that they offer immediate and low-threshold employment—meaning vendors can walk into a street paper office, get training and start earning money that same day.

But job training and economic self-sufficiency are only one part of the equation. They also only partially explain the growing demand for street papers, which have seen their circulation increase as traditional newspapers and magazines see their sales decline.

“Our members tell us that [the increase in circulation] is due not only to the quality of the papers' content,” says Lisa Maclean, executive director of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), “but also to the relationships that are developed between readers and vendors through the unique street paper distribution system.”

Maclean explains that street papers create connections between people from different parts of society—people who might not otherwise come together are conversing and sharing stories. As the vendor gets to know their readers, and vice-versa, a unique and dedicated relationship is formed.

It’s a system that sets up vendors, and the neighbourhoods they work in, for financial and social success.

“I like selling the paper because it gives me a chance to meet people that have positive views and gives me that extra potential and helps build me up,” says Thompson. “I also get to meet people from different parts of the country and the world.”