Local Newspaper To Charge For Online Content

Remember when newspapers were the place to get your news? Today radio, TV and the web have become the primary resources for information and for the most part are free to view, listen to and watch. Yes, you pay for cable or satellite, but if you need local content, it’s over the air out of Bangor or Portland.

Starting in early December, Lewiston's newspaper, the Sun Journal, will start using a “paywall.” Simply put, a “paywall” is where you have to pay for a subscription to see the articles printed online. Usually a newspaper will allow a few free articles a month for example, but for the most part, there will be a fee to read the Sun Journal online. If you’re picky on what you read,you may not notice but if you read a lot of the newspaper and do it often, then you’ll notice quickly that they’ll charge you to read further.

I understand that newspapers want to make money; after all they have payroll and expenses like every other business, but don’t they make money off of the banners and ads many people see for free? If they charge, fewer people will see the banner and sidebar ads and simple economics will tell you that the sponsor will either demand to pay less for fewer views or find some other place to spend their money.

Over our air and at our website at 92moose.fm, we will deliver local information for free-all you have to do is either listen or log on.