Thanks to our readers, the continued support of advertisers and sponsors and because of our hard-working and incredible team at BizTimes Media, we are currently celebrating our 25th year in business.
We’ve seen many changes in our industry since 1995. One change was first introduced by the Wall Street Journal in 1997, when they established a paywall to access content on their website. Many other national and local media outlets have done the same since.
I apologize to those of you who were caught off guard, but just a few weeks ago in June, we launched our “Insider” subscriber program. We understand that our shift to incorporate paid subscriptions is a big change. It is also an important step for our organization as we continue to grow and provide our readers with the best business journalism possible. There will still be plenty of free content on our site, including daily news stories, some of our regular magazine features, podcasts, online events and the webinars we’ve been doing since COVID-19 limited our ability to hold in-person events. Producing the stories you see on our website and in our magazine ultimately requires a revenue source. Requiring a paid subscription for some of them is one of the ways we can support more quality work.
Our existing print subscribers will continue to receive their magazines, but we are no longer providing all of our print content online for free. The available subscription options do include a choice to also receive the print magazine. Current print subscribers, many of whom currently receive the magazine for free as part of our qualified controlled subscription model, can pay for access to the digital version of stories as well as additional Insider daily content.
We understand that individuals and businesses all need to make decisions about how to spend their money. We hope that you will find value in our offering, which, for $8 a month, includes access to all our content, priority access to webinars and discounted registration to our events. We will continue to work hard to make sure you can see the value of supporting our journalism.
Things are not perfect. We are working hard to streamline the registration and login process. If you are having issues becoming an Insider, or login issues, please email Insider@biztimes.com.
While most readers seem to understand BizTimes Media, like all media, requires new revenue models in the digital age, only a few — very few — have questioned why we need to charge for content. Actually, the most recurring comment I hear is, “what took you so long to start charging for your content? I would have paid for it long ago.”
Thank you to those who have become charter Insider members. And thank you to the rest of you who will consider becoming Insiders in the future. We work hard each day to provide you value for your investment in time and money.
