The Washington Post Comapny’s Southern Maryland Newspapers — which include the Maryland Independent, The (St. Mary’s County) Enterprise and The Calvert Recorder — will launch a paywall June 17. An article published Friday tells current subscribers they’ll see no change other than a request they register on somdnews.com.
Others will be able to view three stories a month before hitting the gate. Breaking news will still be free, “in keeping with the responsibility we have to inform the communities we serve when something happens,” the article says, as will classified and legal ads.
A one-year subscription to the Independent or The Enterprise costs $44 (plus you get a $20 gas card); 12 months of the Recorder costs $29 (you get a $10 gas card). Post Co. spokesperson Rima Calderon says via email no other Post Co.-owned community papers are installing paywalls at this time, and that digital-only packages will be available. The Washington Post Co. shuttered two of its Maryland papers last month.
“Asking those who regularly enjoy the content we provide online to pay just a small part of producing that journalism is a way to ensure that we can maintain and expand the news and information that we offer in print and online,” the announcement says.
The Washington Post’s flagship newspaper began to roll out its paywall Wednesday. “In general, I don’t see a problem in asking people to pay for the things they read, consume, use, employ, etc,” Post reporter Joel Achenbach — who claims to write “America’s oldest newspaper blog” — wrote on June 6.
