Stan Jantz's post about LeBron vs. Tiger, vertical vs. horizontal media couldn't be more timely.   Why?  Because my favorite magazine is in danger of disappearing.  Amidst the free fall of car companies, what happens to the small business owners who are serving people in significant ways? I haven’t heard about bailouts for those who depend upon advertising revenue to thrive. And now, PASTE magazine is in trouble.

PASTE has been such a refreshing alternative to Rolling Stone and Spin. It consistently delivers insightful interviews and previews of upcoming releases. Each issue also arrives with a CD loaded with intriguing tracks from people like Iron & Wine and The National. But as a champion of independent artists, they’ve taken a big hit in the economic downturn. Frankly, the rise of illegal downloading (and the shrinking budget of record companies) has zapped all music publications. So now, it is our turn, as readers and fans to keep Paste afloat.

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A lifelong fan of music and the music business, Joe Kirk left his suit and tie behind in 2003 and joined Paste Media Group, best known for Paste Magazine. As the VP of Business Development, he drove Paste's business strategy, raising the funding to significantly grow the distribution of the magazine and extend the Paste brand. As Associate Publisher, he was responsible for magazine production and distribution. He launched and managed an independent label, Paste Records and a retail listening station program, Paste Recommends and also launched and produced the successful weekly Paste Culture Club podcast. He served as executive producer, producer or mastering engineer for Manchester Orchestra, Bill Mallonee, Mark Heard, Brindley Brothers, F/Stop and 21 Paste magazine samplers. After a brief stint at the music download card startup, DiscRevolt, he left Atlanta and moved to Nashville in 2007 and helped develop what is now NoiseTrade.com. Joe and his wife Betsy are passionate about adoption and have raised seven daughters.

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