You may have heard that Columbia Gorge News is going to a paid digital platform. We’ve done editorials, print ads and even put up one of those obnoxious pop-up ads on our website, so I’m really hoping we’ve reached you!
Well, it’s March and finally time to put up the paywall. For the near term, we will offer what’s called a metered paywall, meaning you will be able to access a few stories for free before you’ll have to subscribe. Some of our content will always be free, including COVID-19 pandemic related news.
Why should you subscribe? Subscribers will not only get access to our new e-edition every week, but will also have access to all of the archives of Columbia Gorge News. We also work very hard to find exclusive content for the website that you won’t see in print.
Cue the inevitable question: Why can’t digital news be free? The short answer is because we are a business just like any other, with overhead and employees to pay. Despite not printing our digital content, it does take our team significant time to deliver the news to you on a cutting-edge platform that isn’t free. We follow an archival strategy when posting, meaning you can search for just about anything on the website that you may have seen in print or on the website in the past and pull it up with a keystroke.
There will be several digital packages to choose from, whether you just want a week, month or year — we will give you the option. All packages will include the benefits I mentioned above; the only limitation will be the amount of time you wish to have access.
While we recognize that there are many ways to get your news, we’re betting on the last 100-plus years of being the trusted source for news in the Gorge. Our team not only covers these communities, but we live here and are passionate about delivering the highest standard of journalism. We are accountable to you, our readers, and we trust that when we stumble, you’ll let us know and we’ll do what we can to make it right.
We are excited to bring you the same excellence you expect from us in print on our website.
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