WSJ Sunday won’t add digital version

Jeff Roberts of PaidContent.org talked with David Crook, the editor of The Wall Street Journal Sunday, and discussed why the insert in daily newspapers across the country isn’t offering digital versions for its partners.

Roberts writes, “Many local papers also partner with the Journal in a program to share money from national advertisers. Crook says revenue from Wall Street Journal Sunday is growing even though circulation has peaked, and that the program is a way to introduce the brand to millions of new readers.

“The weekend pairing of Wall Street and Main Street appears to be a perfect marriage save for one hitch — the Journal has cold feet when it comes to digital.  For now, the Journal will not provide its partners with digital copy for their websites. ‘We need to grow our digital base as much as they need it,’ explained Crook.

“The decision is a disappointment to people like Todd Benoit, Director of News and New Media at the Bangor Daily News. He says that the Journal’s weekend pages offer hard-to-get content at a ‘very fair price’ to the newspaper’s aging readers, but that there is digital demand too.

“‘Tell them we would love to get the online version,’ said Benoit.”

Read more here.