Asheville Citizen-Times publisher Randy Hammer announced today that the newspaper is about to “change the way people read and view our content.”
Though the word “pay wall” is never used in Hammer’s announcement, starting on July 1, nonsubscribers to the paper will be able to view a maximum of 10 items on the website per month before being prompted to start a paid subscription.
The subscription will include delivery of the print edition, unlimited access to the AC-T website, “the option to receive an exact digital replica of the print edition delivered to an email account by 5 a.m. every day,” and access to an enhanced digital site designed for tablet devices.
There is no mention of a subscription to the site only, without print delivery. But in comments on the story, the newspaper says a digital-only subscription will be available.
The cost of buying a single copy of the newspaper will go up from 75 cents to $1, and the cost of a Sunday newspaper will go up from $1.50 to $2.
Not all of the paper’s online content will be affected. From Hammer’s announcement:
We will not limit access to significant breaking news stories, like natural disasters, election results or school closings that happen as a result of snowstorms. These stories will not count against the limit.
Nonsubscribers will continue to have full access to obituaries, Associated Press content and WNCParent.com as well as community weeklies the Black Mountain News and The News-Record and Sentinel. People also will have full access to our classifieds, including Cars.com, CareerBuilder.com and HomeFinder.com.
Deciding to limit free access to our digital content has been a hard decision. Newspapers around the country have avoided it for years. But now, because of changes and struggles in the newspaper and media industries, many news organizations find it necessary to start charging for content. The Citizen-Times is not the first to do this, nor will we be the last.
Comments are already heating up on Hammer’s announcement:
Jerry Brendle · Top commenter
“Newspapers” are a vanishing media format. The ATC has went straight downhill now for several years, in both its quality and content, and this new “grasping at straws” move will surely be the end of this osbolete product here in WNC. There’s just too many other ways to get the news now, many of which you can actually take to the toilet with you now!Arthur Mandler · Asheville, North Carolina
Classic contemporary newpaper move……Cut the quality of the staff (and of course the quality of the product suffers) to save money, raise the subscription rates, and then start charging for on-line access to assure that even less people use/look at your “service.”Sandy Cocciadiferro · Works at Working at Translyvania Regional Hospital
what a bonehead move…so you don’t want any “outsider” to see what is happening in Asheville? without paying for it? which is why I get my news about the city and county from MountainxpressPhil Thomas · Jacksonville, Florida
The article doesn’t clearly state…will there be an option for digital only subscription as there is for the New York Times? I read the Citizen-Times every day but certainly do not want seven paper copies per week in my recycling.Richard Beale · Top commenter · Western Carolina University
Did Mr. Hammer used to work at NetFlix?John Lynn · Top commenter
Wow… What about people who can’t afford a subscription? Why does the AC-T not sell advertisements on the website like they do in the print edition? Is the AC-T going to offer a digital subscription for those of us who don’t take the paper in an attempt to reduce the amount of waste in our landfill? Truth be known, it’s not going to be that difficult to find a subscriber and borrow their information to make an online account with. I’ve got family who subscribe and they won’t have any issue with me doing so. I’m sure I’m not alone. Congrats on the brilliant business move.James Cassara · Top commenter · Asheville, North Carolina
John Lynn, the ACT is not a charity. If people “cannot afford a subscription” then they will do without. That is how the world works.Jim Reato · Subscribe · Top commenter · Lord of the Manor at Retired
Once again ACT management puts another nail in their coffin. If anything happens after 9 pm, it’s not in your print addition until 2 days later, so many depend on your on-line addition. Other then local news why would anyone want to subscribe to this rag… smart move ACT managementTraci Jones
Would be happy to pay for content but want digital only subscription. I was a paper subscriber and did not read it so switched to online for convenience not savings. Unlike others I am OK with paying to keep local paper viable.Theresa Willis · Brevard, NC
I’ve seen other newspapers do this. And, no people don’t pay up. They just look on the headlines, which is the important thing to do anyway.
How do you feel about being asked to pay for access to the AC-T website?
10 Comments
Nate, thanks for your thoughts. You’re right – pay walls can only work when content excels, and we’re working hard on that front. I also think we need to work harder to differentiate: the web needs to be more here-and-now, while the print needs more depth and context, a more elegant design.
Regarding Carol’s blog – it’s hard for me to comment because I don’t know all the thinking behind it. I can only surmise that ashvegas is less in favor because it remains outside the umbrella of the Citizen-Times, while Carol’s blog is done fully under the auspices of the newspaper.
If the first entry is any indication, Carol’s blog won’t actually be a blog at all . . . today’s (first?) item is a two-page story about “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” that includes interviews with two local history professors. And there doesn’t appear to be any running page of entries or way to get to the blog via direct link.
Looks to me like she basically just got free rein to write any wacky lifestyle article she wants without getting editorial pre-approval, but she’s got a ways to go before it actually constitutes a blog.
I’m really disappointed in this move by the ACT. I could see this working in a large metro city but don’t think this model fits here. I will not pay for a digital only subscription or a paper one, that just seems silly. My folks on the other hand and most retired folk probably wont mind but they will not be around forever. I think Gannett needs to understand it’s markets before doing a blanket change to it’s papers.
Ed, thanks for your comments.
Obviously some sort of alternative solution needed to be found because the paper (apparently) continues to lose money, but I worry that the AC-T is just hastening its decline with these measures. There’s no way that the flimsy, packed-with-wire-service-stories weekday newspaper currently being produced is worth a dollar an issue, and that specific example of unrealistic pricing makes me worry that the newspaper online subscription will be an equally unreasonable price, like $20/month or something.
I’m actually sort of astonished that Hammer made this announcement, and set a target date of less than two weeks away for the change, but didn’t bother to include any specifics about subscription rates or costs in his editorial. It is kind of fun to see the a vibrant commenting community come out of the woodwork when something like this is threatened, though … that’s the most comments any article in the AC-T has gotten since John Boyle’s cage rattler on Amendment One.
On a more personal and marginally-related note, Jason, it seems like the papers new “Carol” blog is kind of stepping on Ashvegas’ toes a bit … how is her focus any different from what you’ve been doing with your AC-T sub-blog?
yeahh, good luck with that, pfff hahaha
thank you!
Hopefully there is a digital-only version for those of us willing to pay. Otherwise I’ll be interested to see how quickly my print edition arrives from 550 miles away.
Yes, there will be a digital-only version. I’ll get details and post.
aw dang now I have to pay $ to read about last night’s arrests?