SR Editor Explains Paywall

News and information are essential parts of a community’s makeup and play critical roles in the daily practice of democracy and public life. The Spokesman-Review and its predecessors have played a vital role in this community for more than 130 years. The Spokesman-Review and newspapers across the country have weathered unprecedented financial challenges in recent years, and the industry’s tectonic shifts show no sign of settling anytime soon. Advertising revenue and subscription sales are the two main sources of a newspaper’s revenue, and both streams have shrunk considerably, starting with the recession of 2007-08. The latest step toward improving The Spokesman-Review’s revenue standing is the introduction of a website paywall designed to ask readers to support our journalism by paying for it. More here.

Thoughts?