Guardian Australia asks readers to pay once reaching a 20 story cap on its premium app
The left-wing news website has put a cap on how many articles consumers can read each month on its premium app before they must pay to access further content.
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The Guardian Australia has introduced a cap on the number of stories readers can access each month, as the masthead confronts increasing financial pressures.
The paywall on the left-wing media outlet’s app has begun alerting readers that once they hit a 20-story cap in any given month, they must either pay to access further articles or wait until the end of the month for the story cap to reset.
A Guardian Australia spokeswoman said the move to introduce the 20-story cap came into effect late last year, but she said it “only applies to the premium app for regular users.”
“There are no article limits on desktop or mobile web,” she said.
“It’s part of a global effort to explore new ways to fund Guardian journalism.”
The extent of the Guardian’s financial woes were laid bare earlier this month, when it was revealed that the British publisher is set to make a £39m ($75.5m) loss this financial year, largely due to the challenging digital advertising market.
The Guardian’s British newspaper and its Australian operations are owned by a charitable organisation, the Scott Trust.
The Guardian Australia’s spokeswoman said the introduction of payment for content started “long before any reporting on this year’s finances”.
“Like all publishers, we are always exploring new avenues of funding,” she said.
“We do this to ensure we can keep our trusted, independent journalism free and open for those who can’t afford to pay for it, or choose not to.”
The Guardian’s Australian website, run by editor Lenore Taylor, has about 150,000 recurring supporters and another 30,000 who make on-off contributions each year.
A note from Taylor, asking for financial support from readers, appears at the bottom of every online article.
“I wonder if you would consider supporting Guardian Australia,” she writes.
“As we look ahead to the challenges of 2024, we’re aiming to power more rigorous, independent reporting.”
She also tells readers that in 2023 the news outlet’s reporting helped give a “voice to the marginalised.”
“With misinformation and propaganda increasingly rife, we believe it is more important than ever that everybody has access to trustworthy news and information, whether they can afford to pay for it or not.”
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Originally published as Guardian Australia asks readers to pay once reaching a 20 story cap on its premium app
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