Johnston Press ends paywall trial

Johnston Press has ended its paywall trial, which charged readers for content around six of its titles.

The pilot scheme  – which covered the Worksop Guardian, the Ripley & Heanor News, the Whitby Gazette, Carrick Gazette, the Southern Reporter, and the Northumberland Gazette – was announced by Johnston Press in November, and trialled several methods of getting users to pay for content, including a three month subscription at £5.

The regional publisher recently reported that its pre-tax profits were down 56% last year, to £43 million.

Like-for-like advertising revenues were down 26.5% year on year, although the rate of decline reduced throughout the period.

News International announced last week that it would begin charging for access to the Times and Sunday Times websites from June.

Users will be charged £1 for a day’s access or £2 for a full week’s subscription.

News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks suggested that paywalls around the Sun and the News of the World will be coming soon.

“This is just the start. the Times and the Sunday Times are the first of our four titles in the UK to move to this new approach,” Brooks said.

“These new sites, and the apps that will enhance the experience, reflect the identity of our titles and deliver a terrific experience for readers. We expect to attract a growing base of loyal customers that are committed and engaged with our titles.”