Starting July 1, readers of Laredo Morning Times who don't have either an e-Edition subscription or a print subscription will have access only to headlines, ¿Que Pasa? online, Business Journal online, Most Wanted, staff-written blogs, LMT magazines and AP videos.
It's a tough world out there, folks, and producing content is not cheap. So we're asking our cherished readers to pay for what they get.
Readers who want continued access to full news stories and the ability to comment on stories as well as access to obits, Art of Living, Gabriel Castillo's popular Surfing the City, social announcements and the full content of LMT will be able to choose between two options: the all-access Triple Gold package, which includes the e-Edition, text versions of stories and the print edition delivered to your door 365 days a year; or the e-only Double Gold package, which includes just the e-Edition and text versions of the stories.
At the risk of sounding like our sales colleagues, I must tell you that the Triple Gold is the best deal, because it includes the hard copy of the paper as well as the Internet versions. There are definite advantages to having it all. With the print edition, you'll get the coupons, sales inserts and our glossy monthly magazine Dvino. There's comics and puzzles and the daily TV listings. And let's face it, the newspaper is still the most portable option around. No worrying about wi-fi or a power supply or lugging around a laptop.
With the e-Edition and text versions, you'll have continued full access to the LMT Web site, including an option to get headlines sent straight to your smart phone with continued access to the complete stories wherever you are. You'll also have access to our archives, which go back to 1997.
If you've gone totally digital and don't mind missing out on the goodies we include in the print version of LMT, the Double Gold will give you access only to the e-Edition and text versions of stories.
Either way, you're sure to want to stay connected to the latest and most comprehensive Laredo news, sports and entertainment. To ensure your access continues uninterrupted, you'll need to take action before July 1.
If you're already an e-Subscriber, there's no need to do anything. The user name and password you already have will continue to work as it has in the past.
Print subscribers can get the e-part of this deal for free. Just call Circulation at (956) 728-2555 and ask for your account number. You'll need that number to sign up online.
If you're neither a print subscriber nor an e-Edition subscriber, click on the "To Subscribe" link on the righthand side of the home page.
What a lame excuse. You'll be the only newspaper that I'm aware of that charges for access. Everyone else has free registration to read their online news. I know because I read newspapers online from all across the country. BTW, this is a perfect strategy if your goals are for less readership & comments on articles.
ReplyDeleteOK after today, no more reading LMT! You all need to get rolling on this website, seriously it's still on Web 1.0. I've already posted on the Editor's blog about changes that should be made. Did you all not consider that the more unique visitors you have the better your online ad sales will be!? Well congrats on taking a step backwards in the world of of the internet, more like web -1.0 now for LMTonline.com.
ReplyDeletehere's the article I told you to read from your blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=107108&lfe=1
"Of course, newspapers have tried charging for Web access before, but few besides The Wall Street Journal have been able to do so successfully. Even The New York Times abandoned an initiative to charge people for access to columnists. It's not clear why newspapers think that people would be more willing to spend money now than in 2007, when the Times pulled the plug on its program."
Do research on internet users in Laredo before moving forward with the dumbest change you all have ever done.