Responding to Paywall Complaints

Published on January 17, 2019March 5, 2019 by Lynn Walsh | Reading Time: < 1 minute

When faced with complaints about their paywall, The Day responded directly to users and explained why the paywall was necessary. They discussed how many people they employ and the costs associated with those employees. They also highlighted their news coverage and its impact on the community. The news organization said responding to critical comments is something they need to do more. They said that while it takes time and sometimes does not have immediate results, "the cumulative effect could be great." — Comments can be a great way to defend and explain your journalism. When faced with complaints about their paywall, The Day responded directly to users in the comments on a Facebook post and explained why the paywall was necessary. They discussed how many people they employ and the costs associated with those employees. They also highlighted their news coverage and its impact on the community. The news organization said responding to critical comments is something they need to do more. They said that while it takes time and sometimes does not have immediate results, “the cumulative effect could be great.”

Lynn Walsh

lynn@trustingnews.org | + posts

Assistant director Lynn Walsh (she/her) is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has worked in investigative journalism at the national level and locally in California, Ohio, Texas and Florida. She is the former Ethics Chair for the Society of Professional Journalists and a past national president for the organization. Based in San Diego, Lynn is also an adjunct professor and freelance journalist. She can be reached at lynn@TrustingNews.org and on Twitter @lwalsh.