Landmark, major owner of weekly newspapers, begins putting pay meters on most of its websites

Landmark Community Newspapers, which publishes 56 paid-circulation papers, most of them weeklies and many in rural areas, has begun moving most of the weeklies' online content behind pay walls, using a metered approach that gives only 10 minutes of free viewing time to non-subscribers. (States not in gray have Landmark papers)

"Good journalism is expensive," Landmark Executive Editor Benjy Hamm told The Rural Blog. "We believe . . . if you are a frequent reader of our publications in print or online, that should be part of a paid subscription." He said that at least for now, there won't be pay walls at some papers, particularly dailies -- which have more online revenue, their own circulation systems and other factors that make a switch more complicated.

The changeover began at the Brunswick Beacon in coastal North Carolina last fall, then proceeded to other states, mainly in regional groups. The change at Landmark's three papers in the Knoxville TV market was the subject of a story yesterday on WBIR-TV, which noted that "Other East Tennessee newspapers have already made the change to paid online content," specifically those owned by Greeneville-based Jones Media.

Hamm estimated that more than 40 Landmark papers will adopt the metered approach, and will probably experiment with different formulas. "We expect we'll try different things to see what model works best," he said. That could vary from market to market. He said occasional users, such as those who want to look up an obituary, should not have to pay. The 10 minutes on the company's meter is just about long enough to look up an obituary and type an online tribute or condolence.

The Roane County News in Kingston, Tenn., announced its switch in a story that quoted Publisher Johnny Teglas: “A major portion of revenue for our news and information efforts each month is derived from subscription revenue. We feel as we improve services to our readers that they should help pay for them, whether it's in print or online.” (Read more)