If I'm reading the Media Audit press release correctly, the 27,000 online members with access to Tulsaworld.com include 24,500 print subscribers, and at Abqjournal.com, there are 7,604 print subscribers who've registered for online access. I think this study is pointing to a theory I've started to embrace. The key to maintaining reach and yet charging for content may be to offer some free content, possibly even more free content than these two papers are doing, but at the same time, allow print subscribers to access premium content and online customization as part of the subscription rate they already pay for the newspaper.
