Paying for news is nothing new. For more than 100 years people have been parting with their hard-earned dollars to grab a copy of their local newspaper.
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Local rags, as they’re affectionately known, are considered a product of worth, otherwise media organisations would not commit to the expense of printing them.
Whether readers are chasing the latest news, hunting down sport results, or wanting to hear what community events are coming up, they have been happy – or at the very least willing – to part with their money to stay informed.
Last week, the Western Advocate introduced subscriptions for access to its website, so online readers can support us the way our loyal print subscribers do and help ensure the strongest possible future for their region’s journalism.
The choice is yours. We hope you’ll support us, as you always have.
Somewhat understandably, the feedback about this change has been less-than-universal approval. And that’s understandable, as no one – including those who work for this masthead – relishes parting ways with their money.
But to those who object to the notion of subscriptions, we would humbly point out a simple fact: in addition to being a news service, we are also a business.
A business just like any other. So ask yourself – would you walk into a bakery, pick up a loaf of bread and expect to be allowed to walk out without paying for it? Similarly, would you get repairs done to your home and not pay the tradie for his or her time and materials?
Just as those businesses’s goods and services can’t be produced for free, neither can ours, so by charging for online access we are ensuring we keep a team of journalists and photographers here, in your city.
We are, proudly, an Bathurst-based team, one which cover the stories – good and bad – that need to be told, as they happen, in the region they call home.
At the end of the day, you have a choice. For $3.75 a week – less than a cup of coffee – you get unlimited online access to the leading source of Bathurst news and sport. Heck, you’ll even get a replica of the printed edition.
You’ll also be supporting local jobs, and acknowledging the necessity of the work done day-in, day-out by our journalists.
The choice is yours. We hope you’ll support us, as you always have.
Thank you.
