Business in Vancouver to begin charging for content

Kirk LaPointe, the publisher  and editor in chief of Business in Vancouver, writes that the publication will soon begin charging for access to its content.

LaPointe writes, “Having been around this free-versus-paid debate in journalism for about a quarter-century now, it bears reminding that decisions to reach the widest audience without any kind of barrier were made with the expectation that advertising revenue would support the model. In many cases, it can quite well; in ours, not so well.

“Without burdening you with details, our print and digital publications each provide different platforms and attract different audiences. We wouldn’t want to lose either, and we know you wouldn’t. While we need to change this to bring more subscription revenue into BIV, it would also be unfair to try to migrate only what we have been giving freely into a for-payment model. So, at year’s end, a bit of a heads-up: Before long we’ll be bringing forward a combination of gated and limited online access (you’ll be asked to register), an introductory subscription offer, and a loyalty program that will offer you additional benefits with businesses in our market. We’re at work on it now. Many of you provided direct support to us during this time, and you aren’t forgotten – you’ll be getting a break on the new initiative.

“Our aim out of this is to improve our service to the community, uncover stories that matter to our audience, and we will best do this with your support.”

Read more here.