The Press and Journal newspaper has launched a new website with a metered paywall.
Readers of the new site, based around a Word Press template, will be able to read ten articles a month before the paywall becomes active.
The website has been launched to provide “tech savvy readers” of the DC Thomson title with breaking news stories and is designed to complement the newspaper.
The site, designed for optimum functionality across web, phone and tablet platforms, has five key areas – home, business, lifestyle, news and sport – and the site’s structure can be tailored to each reader’s interests.
There are three payment packages on offer to readers. The first, costing 99p for the first month and £10 after that, includes full access to the site and a daily newsletter. The second, at £15 a month, includes an e-edition of the print edition. And the third, at £20, includes all six weekly editions of the printed newspaper.
Editor-in-chief Damian Bates said: “The nature of online reporting has changed and social media is now a main source of breaking stories for many people. Nobody can touch The Press and Journal’s coverage of the north of Scotland and our new website has fantastic immediacy, providing readers with up-to-the-minute stories from a trusted source.
“The newspaper is still a central focus at The Press and Journal and we have more readers now than we did five years ago. This website will complement the print offering and has been designed to offer our tech savvy readers instant access to the latest news as and when they want it.”
DC Thomson head of digital Kirsten Morrison said: “Journalists can post direct for both online and print; this is the first time DC Thomson has used a ‘digital first’ system.
“Www.pressandjournal.co.uk will be a hub for up-to-the-minute news on the north of Scotland. The live news stream offers short sound bites of news, perfect for mobile and tablet users.”
Bates added: “Our editorial team will be working hard to provide readers with an enhanced experience, bringing them exclusive content available only on the paid for platform. Readers will have access to all of The Press and Journal’s regular editorial – news, business, lifestyle and sport – but with the added bonus of access to stories as they’re breaking and developing.”
Earlier this year, Newsquest announced that digital subscriptions for the Glasgow based Herald & Times group now outstrip those in print.
The newspaper group began charging for access to the HeraldScotland website in December 2011 with a limit set of 10 free articles per month per user.
Tim Blott, regional managing director at Newsquest, told Press Gazette: “We have 5,500 print subscribers so we have exceeded that online. We are very happy with the progress.”
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