Wired to charge for ad-free version of website

Wired magazine plans to charge $3.99 a month for an ad-free version of its website, writes Joshua Brustein of Bloomberg News.

Brustein writes, “Wired plans to charge $3.99 for four weeks of ad-free access to its website. In many places where ads appear, the site will simply feature more articles, said Mark McClusky, the magazine’s head of operations. The portion of his readership that uses ad blockers are likely to be receptive to a discussion about their  responsibility to support the businesses they rely on for  information online, McClusky said.

“There are legitimate reasons that people use ad blockers, according to McClusky, like a desire to speed up web browsing or not wanting to be tracked online. But Wired has bills to pay. ‘I think people are ready to have that conversation in a straightforward way,’ he said.

“The magazine’s editors are explaining the move in a note to readers:

‘At WIRED, we believe that change is good. Over the past 23 years, we’ve pushed the boundaries of media, from our print magazine to launching the first publishing website. We even invented the banner ad. We’re going to continue to experiment to find new ways to bring you the stories you love and to build a healthy business that supports the storytelling. We hope you’ll join us on this journey. We’d really appreciate it.'”

Read more here.