University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Newspaper Paywalls
Report

Newspaper Paywalls

The Hype and the Reality

Merja Myllylahti
Academia, 2013
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Editorial Rating

7

Recommendation

Newspapers are searching for a digital solution to compensate for heavy losses in print subscriptions. Are “metered” paywalls the answer? Auckland University of Technology lecturer Merja Myllylahti compares the varying degrees of success met by companies that have implemented paywalls – a difficult task given the lack of transparency in online revenue reporting. getAbstract recommends this study to digital content providers, newspaper shareholders and all those who want to know what it may cost them to get their daily news fix in the future.

Summary

Despite early research indicating the public’s aversion to paying for digital news content, paywall adoption rates suggest that newspaper readers may soon accept subscription fees as an inevitable part of online news consumption. Currently, digital revenues tend to hover around 10% of a newspaper’s total revenue, though Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat reaches 33% for bundled print and digital services. Weekly subscription fees vary widely, from $3 per week for The Australian to $9.70 for the UK’s The Sunday Times.

Consumers are particularly ready to pay for content if they believe their favorite newspaper...

About the Author

Merja Myllylahti is a lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology.

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