About NASNA

What Is NASNA?  The North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) exists to support and build effective, self-sustaining street newspapers that promote opportunities for people living in poverty and public awareness of issues of concern to the poor, homeless, socially excluded communities.

The idea for NASNA began in 1996, when two dozen street newspaper came together to explore the possibilities of creating a united network. The following year, in Seattle, NASNA became a reality when 37 papers agreed on a mission, goals, and other strategies to build unity in our movement. 

In the past decade, many new street papers have started operations, some older ones have closed up shop, and still others have flourished and grown. As of October 2007, NASNA had 26 members in 14 U.S.states and five Canadian provinces, with an average monthly circulation of about 280,000 copies. NASNA members range from semi-monthly publications with small circulations to popular weekly newspapers that offer job training and social services.

To read more about NASNA’s recent activity and plans for the future, click here to read the : NASNA 2007 Annual Report
(Type: pdf file, Size: 408 KB)

NASNA Activities:

Technical Assistance: NASNA offers its members workshops and professional advice to help improve their papers as well their day to day operations. This assistance comes in the form of web and phone-based workshops on topics like vendor management, fundraising and using volunteers. These workshops are run by professional with a deep understanding and knowledge of the unique world of street papers.

Recordings of previous technical assistance workshops can be found here:
February 2007
March 2007--Capacity Building Workshop

The NASNA Executive Committee also provides one-on-one consultation to all developing papers and existing members.

Conference: Every other year NASNA holds a three day long conference in the city of one of its member papers. The 2007 conference was in held in Portland, Ore., and previous conferences were held in Halifax, Boston, Quebec City and Seattle.

The conferences include workshops on topics ranging from improving layout to attracting individual donors to recruiting new vendors. In 2007 there was a keynote speaker, Paul Boden of the Western Regional Advocacy Project, and a forum on new and innovative ideas for street papers. The conferences are also a great opportunity to meet leaders from other street papers and share ideas.

Street News Service: Through a partnership with the International Network of Street Papers
(INSP), NASNA offers its members a network of shared articles called the Street News Service. This web-based service is an interactive and searchable site of news and feature stories, editorials, profiles and photographs.

Articles and photographs are from Reuters and InterPress are also available to NASNA members. Additionally, translation into and from other language is also possible.

NASNA founded the Street News Service in 2002, and it went international in 2005 through a partnership with the INSP. The INSP now manages the Street News Service with papers from North America and all across the world, contributing fresh and intriguing stories each week.

Communication: Besides conference and technical assistance, NASNA members also stay updated on what going on in the world of street papers through a monthly e-mail newsletter. The NASNA executive committee also communicates monthly through a phone-based conference call and relays the information discussed to members.

NASNA also just created a blog so members can share new ideas and concerns with each other on a regular basis. This blog will be regularly
updated by the NASNA executive committee and members will be encouraged to comment. Visit the blog here:  NASNA Blog

NASNA and the INSP: In 2006 NASNA and the International Network of Street Paper (INSP) formed a strategic alliance where all NASNA members would also be accepted as members of the INSP. While the North American association remains its own separate entity, we are essentially the North American arm of the INSP. This alliance is the first step in forming other regional alliances throughout the vast INSP network.

The International Alliance is made up of about 80 papers in 34 countries all over the world. Cities with street papers range from Cape Town, South Africa to San Paulo, Brazil to Copenhagen, Denmark. For more information on the INSP visit: http://www.street-papers.org

Through the relationship with the INSP, NASNA members now receive the benefit of a wider range of stories on the Street News Service, as well as more frequent updates to the service now that it is managed by the INSP. NASNA members also are encouraged to attend the INSP conference held every year in cities with street papers throughout the world. For example, the 2007 conference held in Poznan, Poland. Additionally NASNA member get monthly newsletter from the INSP with update on street paper innovations and the activity of street papersworldwide.