In its ongoing effort to improve reader satisfaction, the Press News Group will soon replace its online pay system for access to its website, 27east.com.
Current print or online subscribers to The Southampton Press, The East Hampton Press or 27east.com will see no change in their digital experience on the website.
Beginning on Friday, February 7, visitors to 27east.com who have not subscribed to the paper or website will be able to sample seven articles per month—for free—after which they will be invited to subscribe to The Press. After the seven-article limit has been reached, visitors can still access articles on the site, but will be limited to short abstracts of the articles until the clock is reset after one month.
Scores of media outlets across the country have adopted a metering subscription system and have found that readers, after given a chance to examine the quality news coverage on the website at no charge, were eager to subscribe and have access to stories on an unlimited basis.
The new metering system replaces the current system of restricting access to a majority of content on the website to non-subscribers only.
Many features of the website that are currently free to visitors to 27east.com—including community photos, restaurant listings and reviews, business listings, classified ads and the East End’s most comprehensive events calendar—will remain accessible regardless of subscription status.
Subscribers will continue to have unlimited access to the site. Both print- and digital-only subscriptions are available, including a 99-cent one-month trial subscription. For subscription information, click on the subscribe button in the upper right corner of the homepage, or call 283-4100.
Bill Sutton is director of digital media for the Press News Group.
billsutton@pressnewsgroup.com on Jan 31, 2014