US newspaper group Hearst has introduced a customised paywall to encourage more readers to subscribe. The move comes as the company is under pressure from activist investor Starboard Value and other media companies that have been pushing for an end to its practice of charging users for access to online content. The new system allows users to read unlimited content at first, before being offered tailored paid-for packages. In a trial of the system at one of the local sites, the number of subscribers has doubled since September.
US newspaper group Hearst has introduced a customised paywall to encourage more readers to subscribe. The company publishes 24 daily and 64 weekly newspapers across the country, and previously operated a system in which editors chose content to place behind the paywall. The new system allows users to read unlimited content at first, before being offered tailored paid-for packages. In a trial of the system at one of the local sites, the number of subscribers has doubled since September.