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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Loosens Once-Rigid Pay Wall

3 min read

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is making some changes, both in print and online. The statewide newspaper last week loosened what was once one of the most rigid pay walls in the country to a metered system more similar to that offered by The New York Times and Financial Times. Locally, the Arkansas Times launched a metered pay wall in August 2013, which allowed 10 free article views per month.

Online Director James Holmes said the Democrat-Gazette’s metered pay wall allows nonsubscribers to view online five stories a month that were produced for the print product, a number that may eventually change. Previously, newspaper content was only available online to subscribers, and those without a subscription could either pay for one-day access or view only a short blurb of the beginning of the story.

Holmes said the newspaper has always been protective of its content, but that the pay wall had “conditioned” visitors to the website to know that certain content was off-limits. Currently, he said, newspaper content accounts for less than 10 percent of total traffic to the site, which the paper hopes to change with the five-article meter.

“It’s set at a relatively low number with the idea that users would be able to see the content that’s produced by the Democrat-Gazette in the newspaper and ultimately would opt to subscribe and pay for full access beyond just the limited access they get with the meter,” Holmes said.

Walter Hussman Jr., owner and publisher of the Democrat-Gazette, has vigorously defended charging for content online, which he has said protects the money-making print product.

Reducing Stock Listings

Changes are being made in the printed D-G as well. The business section is slimming down its listings of stocks and mutual funds.

The newspaper has published repeated notices that it plans to reduce those listings and better tailor them to match reader preferences. Daily readers of the paper are familiar with the full-page listings, which often make up the bulk of the business section.

Managing Editor David Bailey said that since announcing the plans, the newspaper has received about 120 phone calls asking for a collection of about 800 stocks and mutual funds to remain in print. He said the newspaper missed the originally planned start date for the changes, Feb. 18, because information was still being compiled.

“We’ll still be running far more stocks than most other newspapers in the country are,” Bailey said. And stock listings that don’t appear in print will be available online.

Bailey said the newspaper began running about 20 pages of listings per day in its electronic edition late last year, which it plans to continue.

Bailey said the newspaper expects to save a few thousand dollars per year on newsprint costs, but that the change also allows for later deadlines. Previously, the section would have to go to press at or before the close of the business day to be formatted, but will now have deadlines more in line with the rest of the newspaper’s content, he said.

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