A newspaper published by the New York Times Company has erected a paywall. From yesterday, the Telegram & Gazette, based in Worcester, Massachusetts, began to charge for access to its website.
In an online letter to readers, publisher Bruce Gaultney, and editor Leah Lamson explained that "readers who are not print subscribers will be asked to register to read up to 10 local news articles in a month or to pay for unlimited access to the local news report."
Among the pay options is a monthly charge of $14.95 (£9.50) or a 24-hour day pass for $1 (64p).
They state that "an abundance of quality material, much of it local, will continue to be available free online to all." This includes breaking news, obituaries, videos, classified advertising and wire service news from outside the area.
And the reason? "The primary one is obvious," they write. "It is expensive to provide the most complete coverage of local news in the many communities we cover... Our business is labour intensive and the financial support we need to fulfil our mission to you cannot (and in all fairness, should not) be borne just by our print subscribers and advertisers."
The Gaultney-Lamson letter attracted more than 320 comments, most of them opposed to the move.
The Telegram & Gazette is the only daily paper in Worcester, Massachusetts. It has an average weekday sale of about 70,000 and 80,000 on Sundays. Last year, the NY Times company tried to find a buyer for the title without success.
Source: telegram.com
