Starting today, the Dallas Morning News has taken its online publication behind a paywall. While there are some stories fully available to all readers, any primo content will require a monthly online subscription of $16.95.
Here’s an example of what unsubscribed readers will encounter, from today’s online edition:
In a memo to staff, Publisher Jim Moroney explained the decision:
“Online advertising rates are insufficient at the scale of traffic generated by metro newspaper websites to support the businesses they operate. We need to find additional and meaningful sources of revenue to sustain our profitability as we journey further into the digital marketplace.”
Will the gamble pay off?