The readers of the Washington City Paper have rushed to show their support for the newspaper after it was sued for defamation by the owner of the American football team, the Washington Redskins.
Daniel Snyder, the current owner of the team, made the decision to file a defamation lawsuit against the Paper back in February after it published an article written by sports columnist Dave McKenna entitled “The Cranky Redskins Fan’s Guide to Dan Snyder”.
Since the lawsuit was filed, readers have been keen to show their support for the newspaper in the form of donations. A fund was set up for reader donations and as many as 600 were received in the first three weeks of the campaign. So far, the Washington City Paper, which has a circulation of roughly 72,300 and 450,000 monthly views on its website, has collected around $31,000 from well-wishers.
Bosses at the Washington City Paper are reportedly worried about mounting court costs in relation to the defamation lawsuit, making it likely that the publication does not have professional indemnity insurance in place. Without the support of its very loyal readership, the Paper could have been left facing a financially devastating legal bill.