Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Almost four years after The Times blocked free access to most of its website with a paywall, 70 per cent of the public would “not consider” paying for digital news content, according to YouGov research commissioned by the London Press Club.
And yet, in the same survey, a group of more than 400 “opinion former” news junkies were far more positive about paying. Some 37 per cent of this group had made some kind of financial transaction for digital news in the past year (compared with 9 per cent of the wider public).
The YouGov survey offers pointers to the kind of content that is more likely to survive behind a paywall. An impressive 8 per cent of the public said they would pay for expert opinion, 6 per cent for sport and 6 per cent for local news. Among the niche of “opinion formers”, 34 per cent would pay for investigative journalism. There must be a viable business here.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments