Starting May 1, WarwickPost.com will begin requiring regular readers who read more than 20 articles per month to pay $1.50 to read more. A full year’s access will cost $15, a two-month discount over the monthly charge. If you’re only interested in a few of our pieces every four weeks, you won’t notice much difference, just a reminder that your free access is counting down.
You can subscribe up-front before that starts if you already think that’s a good idea.
I hope this will encourage regular readers to spend a little on the journalism WarwickPost.com provides. It should also make sure casual readers have the chance to become big enough fans that a subscription makes sense.
We’re still selling advertising space on the site; this will complement, not replace, advertising revenue. Our stories will still show up in Google results, and can still be shared on social media. Our advertisers have been alerted to the change.
That’s the short version, the lead (or lede), but there’s a more detailed explanation of my thinking on this below. Charging for subscriptions after three years seems like the sort of thing you should use more than three paragraphs to do, so if you’re interested, or need some more convincing, please read on:
“So, are you just a nice guy?” WPD Inspector Chris Mathiesen asked last month while I was at Warwick Police Headquarters to pick up the weekly arrest reports for WarwickPost.com.
Mathiesen wanted to know why I’m running this news website, which will soon mark three years providing coverage of politics, government, crime, business and community events in Rhode Island’s second largest city. Am I just doing it to inform the public? Plugging away for years because I’m a dogged altruist?
Not exactly.
I launched WarwickPost.com because I was certain people valued local journalism, that they need to know what’s going on to be effective citizens, and that I could run a successful business by providing that information.
So, while I am an idealist, my aim is to make a living, to turn it into a successful, profitable business. I remain convinced that news has commercial value: To local advertisers who want their businesses associated with quality, informative journalism; To the people who need that information to navigate daily life, argue for changes in local government, and to be informed voters.
By many measures, WarwickPost.com has been a success. The site has a growing monthly audience of 20,000 visitors. Word of mouth has been very appreciative, particularly during the site’s recent coverage of the fire safety and communication lapses at Warwick Public Schools. Last week, WarwickPost.com was the sole publication in the state to preview the premiere of Warwick filmmaker Kris Avedisian’s (no relation to the Mayor) independent film, “Donald Cried.” WarwickPost.com fought to acquire the “Ragosta Report” detailing Warwick Public Schools’ handling of accusations of impropert student contact against Gorton Jr. High Science teacher Mario Atoyan, then published the report in defiance of the legal threats of then Warwick Schools’ director of human resources Rosemary Healey. WarwickPost.com was not the only publication to make the report public, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more detailed analysis of its findings than in our report on the document.
This news website has chronicled the fall of the iconic Warwick Water Tower, presented cogent commentary and information on two elections, and delivered daily reports of the routine heroism of Warwick’s emergency personnel, the good works of its institutions, and those who keep its history alive.
Readers happily remark that they read WarwickPost.com every day. Our advertisers are happy, there’s quality journalism and a steady, appreciative readership.
I’m adding one more thing to make this website stronger, send more people to meetings, and be even more on top of what’s going on in Warwick: YOU.
Starting May 1st, WarwickPost.com will charge anyone who reads more than 20 articles on the site $1.50 per month to access the rest of our stories. The counter resets at the end of each month, so if you’re an avid reader, you can bypass that hassle with a yearly subscription of $15, which will give you twelve months for the price of 10.
I’ve done a lot in the last three years largely on my own, with the help of a few dedicated friends. With your support, I can do a lot more. If a significant number of WarwickPost.com readers are willing to pay for the work we’ve done, the site will thrive, you’ll be even better informed, and you’ll be able to rely on that into a long, bright future. If there is one thing about our coverage you enjoy, please support our efforts with a subscription.
There are a few other non-financial things I need your help with if WarwickPost.com is going to grow into a greater success:
How you can help
Support our advertisers Ads on WarwickPost.com have sent reporters to meetings, paid for website maintenance, and kept office supplies stocked. The Matt Patty Team at Keller Williams Realty, the Chocolate Delicacy chocolate shop, DIF Design and Open Season catering have made the choice to support the stories and information you rely on, so patronizing their businesses will not only help the local economy, it will prove that investing in local journalism is a smart business decision. If you need a realtor, your business website redesigned, a gift of chocolates or an event catered, make them your first choice, and let them know you did that because they’re investing in WarwickPost.com with their advertising dollars.
Also, please support the Central RI Chamber of Commerce. The team at the Warwick-based Chamber have provided WarwickPost.com with immeasurable support and guidance – they can help your business, too. Give President Lauren Slocum and her team a call at 401-732-1100 and see how they can advise and support you.
Join in, and invite your friends Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and encourage others to come along. Sign up for our free daily newsletter. These steps can help our audience grow, which will inform more people, put our advertisers’ messages in front of more people, making WarwickPost.com, and the community, stronger.
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