The Washington Post's Paywall Goes Up June 12
June 6, 2013
The Washington Post is implementing its long-rumored paywall on Wednesday, June 12. A subscription will then be required for users to access more than 20 articles a month via the Web or through mobile devices.
The paywall’s arrival isn't a surprise. In March, the news operation announced plans to begin charging for some content later in the year. Soon after the announcement, The Washington Post for iPad app received a fairly significant refresh.
The Washington Post is not alone in implementing a paywall. The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Boston Globe, and The New Yorks Times, have done so in the past.
The paywall will have no affect on the publication’s homepage, section front pages, videos, and classified advertising. Additionally, photo galleries that encourage readers to flip through several pages of content will count only once against the 20-article limit.
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.
According to Publisher Katharine Weymouth, the company will “listen to reader feedback and modify our model accordingly. There is going to be a great deal of experimentation ahead to strike the right balance between ensuring access to critical news and information and building a sustainable business.”
Wash Post for the iPhone/iPod touch and The Washington Post for iPad are available in Apple's Newsstand.
