The document discusses how newspapers have adapted to the growth of the internet by creating news websites and pursuing technological convergence. Some newspapers like the Daily Telegraph have implemented "paywalls" which restrict access to content online unless users pay a fee. A paywall fully blocks access, while a "threshold" allows some free access before requiring payment. Clay Shirky argues that distributing news online changes its nature and challenges newspapers to adapt while keeping their identity. The future of newspapers may rely more on online revenue through paywalls as print circulation continues to decline compared to digital readership.

1. Paywalls/thresholds
and the impact of the
internet on newspaper
circulation
Section B

2. Task 1
Create a report/powerpoint that answers the following
questions:
Questions:
1. How has the newspaper adapted to the growth of the
internet?
2. What does the term paywalls mean?
3. What is the difference between a paywall and a
threshold?
4. How does Clay Shirky suggest the newspaper
industry has been affected by the internet?
5. What do you think will happen to the newspaper
industry in the future?

3. How has the newspaper adapted to
the growth of the internet?
 Newspapers have adapted to the digital nature of the internet; achieving
technological convergence through the creation of news websites.
 This has allowed traditional news institutions to remain in touch with the developing
popularity of the digital age.
 Online convergence allows for a means of distributing news on a global scale; of
which is more limited by the physical print of newspapers (limited in the number and
the centres that can market/exhibit them).
 The success of this convergence can be regarded by the dominating use of these
online means of news over that of tradtional print media. For example, “The Sun
online is read by about 30 million users every month – more than 10 times its 2.4m
daily print circulation.”[1]
 [1] https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/26/the-sun-the-telegraph-online-
paywall
 [2] https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/27/sun-paywall-unavoidable

4. Continued…
 Some institutions have also adapted to the revenue opportunities
of the internet. For example, the Daily telegraph, in 2013,
became “the first UK general interest national newspaper to use
a metered paywall system.”[1]
 Thus, the news some institutions have become more reliant upon
gaining internet revenue, over that of traditional print, in which,
institutions like the Sun gain dominating internet users of “30
million… every month – more than 10 times its 2.4m daily print
circulation.”[1]
 The Guardian have also invested in offering subscription and a
membership; granting those who pay, additional services, such
as updates on content and offers for news.

5. What does the term paywalls
mean?
 A method of gaining online revenue through
the restriction upon free website users,
obstructing access to information unless a fee
is paid.
 This often appears in the form of paying for a
website-specific membership or subscription
deal.

6. What is the difference between a
paywall and a threshold?
 A threshold describes a means of accessing online-content from
a website, free of any user restriction; prior to being informed of
the need to pay to gain further access.
 “in March [2010], the New York Times introduced a charge for
readers who crossed a certain threshold of article views”[3]: a
threshold marks the point at which free content ends, if
breached, then payment is required (paywall).
 A paywall marks the point at which the user is restricted by the
need to pay to access further internet content.
 [3] http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2012/01/

7. How does Clay Shirky suggest the
newspaper industry has been affected by
the internet?
 Shirky argues the point that distributing content online changes the nature of the
product.
 In which he believes that for traditional news institutions, by digitally converging to
adapt to the internet, the values and essence of the product change.
 Thus creating a challenge for newspapers, as they must aim to both adapt and keep
up with the advancing internet world, whilst also retain their own already established
news institution identity, in order to retain their already established audience.
 Internet distribution has changed newspapers from a mass marketed product at a
mass audience to a niche product to niche audiences.
 Do to audience empowerment, not all pieces of news will successfully again
attention, as audiences now only view content that interests them (hindering the
appeal of a news bundle nature of a print newspaper).
 Securing revenue has become an issue, as internet users expect to gain free
content; and if obstructed will simply access information elsewhere.

8. What do you think will happen to the
newspaper industry in the future?
 With the growing advancement of I internet opportunities,
and the dominating success of users of news internet
sources over tradtional print media (as conveyed by the
Sun “read by about 30 million users every month – more
than 10 times its 2.4m daily print circulation.”[1]), I believe
that the newspaper industry will continue to gain a
growing reliance upon the popularity of the internet.
 This suggests that focus upon maintaining print media will
only continue, gradually replaced by news websites;
prompting institutions to perhaps challenge their values of
providing free news by relying upon the revenue gained
through implementing a paywall.