The Washington Post’s Paywall Goes Up Later This Year
March 19, 2013
The Washington Post has announced plans to implement a paywall. The system, which begins this summer, will have an impact on the company’s website and iPad app.
In a message to readers, Katharine Weymouth, publisher of The Washington Post said:
News consumers are savvy; they understand the high cost of a top-quality news gathering operation and the importance of maintaining the kind of in-depth reporting for which The Post is known. Our digital package is a valuable one, and we are going to ask our readers to pay for it and help support our news gathering as they have done for many years with the print edition.The plan will limit free content to 20 articles or multimedia features a month. However, home-delivery subscribers will continue to receive all content for free. In addition, students, teachers, school administrators, government employees, and military personnel will still have unlimited access while in their schools and workplaces. Finally, access to the company’s home page, and classified ads will remain free. As part of the transition, The Washington Post for iPad app will be refreshed. First released in November 2010, the free app has never charged users for content. However, it has always carried the message, “Enjoy a complimentary full-access subscription to The Washington Post for iPad for a limited time.” The Washington Post is not alone in implementing a paywall. The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times, have done so in the past. Pricing details about The Washington Post’s new paywall have yet to be announced.
