A Boston Globe Magazine story about a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar’s decision to change its KN-95 mask requirement has proven to be a major subscriber driver. According to Nieman Lab, the piece pulled in “several thousand” new subscribers in about 72 hours — a striking result for a local feature story.
The article, written by Annalisa Quinn, centers on the fallout after the bar altered its mask rules, a controversy the headline described as “all hell broke loose.” Nieman Lab’s assessment was glowing, calling the piece “perfect” in part because it is written in such a neutral way. The neutral tone, the analysis suggests, let readers draw their own conclusions while still delivering a compelling narrative.
Because there is only one source, no comparison or disagreement is possible. But the Nieman Lab write-up makes clear that the Globe’s decision to publish a fair-minded, deeply reported story on a charged local controversy resonated with audiences — enough to convert thousands of them into paying subscribers.