Democrat-Gazette Bets on a Dollar

Lynn Hamilton

“We chose you, friend!” was the come-on for a special subscription offer in the inbox of many casual Arkansas Democrat-Gazette readers last week. “You are part of an exclusive group of interested readers that will be able to take advantage of our best offer ever.”

The email went to readers who tap on the paper’s online links regularly but have not subscribed. So what is this eye-popping offer? Six months of unlimited digital access to Arkansas’ best news source, as the Democrat-Gazette bills itself, for just one lone dollar.

The offer drew some surprise from readers who have ponied up $34 a month for unlimited digital access, a printed Sunday paper and the free use of a newspaper-provided iPad for the duration of their subscription.

The new dollar subscribers won’t get the iPad, the key part of Publisher Walter Hussman’s 2019 decision to stop home weekday print delivery and rely on subscribers adopting his digital print replica and an iPad to read it on.

But they will get the digital replica to read on their own computers or tablets, along with full access to arkansasonline.com and wholehogsports.com.

Democrat-Gazette President Lynn Hamilton told Whispers the offer is a test program copied from the Boston Globe. “We’ve made it available to people repeatedly visiting our Arkansas Online website without becoming subscribers.”

Several Hundred Bite

Over just a few days, several hundred readers accepted the offer, he said. “These discounted subscriptions don’t include an iPad or Sunday print delivery, but they do provide full access to the digital replica as well as the website. In six months, we hope many of the new subscribers will remain with us when the rate goes to full price.” That’s the $34 monthly rate. “If few remain, this will be a failed test.”

The offer notes that reporting trustworthy news isn’t cheap. “The work our local journalists do has a cost, and it’s worth it. A healthy free press is crucial to a healthy democracy.”

Hamilton said the newspaper’s future depends on attracting readers willing to pay full price. “We can’t provide continuing subscription discounts as we did in the past when the newspaper was primarily supported by advertising. The few (four or five) present full-price subscribers who inquired about the $1 offer seem to understand our reasoning.

“These are exciting times at the Democrat-Gazette as we try to find a new way forward.”