FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Starting today, Fredericksburg’s Free Lance-Star will start charging for its web products – Fredericksburg.com and a new, just launched magazine tablet application.
In a statement from publisher Nicholas J. Cadwallender, all of the newspaper’s websites will now include a meter that will monitor how many pages users visit. More “frequent users” of the site will see a subscription page asking them to purchase a subscription to read more content.
In addition to the website paywall, the company has also developed a new website, freelancestar.com, which will deliver content optimized for iPads and other mobile devices. It, too, will operate on a paywall structure.
More from Free Lance-Star Publisher Nicholas J. Cadwallender:
We know this is a big step for us to take when we’ve offered free access to Fredericksburg.com for so many years. But we’re committed to offering the best products we can, and we’ll work tirelessly to earn your business.
As we watch the world of journalism and local news shift, we have to constantly change to keep pace. We still don’t know what our online business will look like five or 10 years down the road, but we think these changes will keep us on the right track. We hope you’re along for the ride.
Cadwallender has served as publisher since 2010, following the retirement of his father-in-law, Josiah P. Rowe III.
The newspaper this month also rolled out a newly redesigned Fredericksburg.com.
Reaction to the news of a paywall for the Fredericksburg.com site has been increasingly negative, however, industry experts around the world say readers should prepare for more and more content providers to begin charging for online access.
