By Ben Rodgers
Editor
The way we all consume media has changed. As a newspaper company we are well aware of this. That is why we will launch a paywall effective Oct. 12.
The Press Times is the only news source in the greater Green Bay area to have a 100 percent dedicated focus on community news.
We cover events and games other media outlets ignore because we value what happens in our schools and village boards.
Since Multi Media Channels purchased The Press Times last year we have invested in changes not only in the print edition, but online as well.
Our print product has been completely redesigned and our online presence grows by the day.
The important thing to remember is this paywall will only affect readers who rely on our website for news.
Those who subscribe to the print edition have a subscriber code located on their mailing label which will disable the paywall. They will be able to access the online version and our ever-growing collection of stories.
Those who do not have a print subscription may read 10 free articles a month. After that they will be asked to pay 99 cents a month or $9.99 a year for unfettered access to our website.
The common analogy touted out with announcements like this is comparing the cost to a cup of coffee.
That is a valid point, but I like to look at it differently.
Your $9.99 is more than a cup or two of coffee. It’s an investment in local, community-first news that you can not and will not find anywhere else.
The simple truth is we have bills to pay. At the same time, we understand you have bills to pay as well.
But $9.99 per year likely won’t break the bank for people who don’t subscribe to our print edition.
Look at our competitor and what it charges for print and digital subscriptions. A side-by-side comparison will clearly show that you get more local news at a more affordable price from us.
Plus, we don’t bog our website and print edition down with stories that happen outside of the communities we serve.
With either a print or digital subscription you are paying for local news and sports stories about Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Howard, Suamico and Hobart.
You will not see stories from around the state and cities like Wausau, Appleton, Oshkosh, Manitowoc or Sturgeon Bay.
Moreover, the money you spend on a digital subscription will stay local. It will go toward reporters who live in your communities, not to some corporate headquarters on the east coast.
That’s the cold, hard truth.
Plus, we have no intentions to dial local coverage down. In fact, we plan to ramp it up.
Over the past 12 months we have made an investment in our product, and I believe with every fiber of my being that the work we have done has improved greatly.
We are now asking people who previously enjoyed our improved product for free to make an investment in us, so we can continue on the same path we started down a year ago in delivering local, community-first news.
Your subscription will not only ensure we can continue, but will help us expand and do it better.