CNN is introducing a paywall! CNN began introducing paid access to its online content in October 2024, following the trend of digital media moving away from free news. Together with Reuters, it is introducing a one-meter paywall, which means that readers will only have access to a limited number of free articles before they have to pay for a subscription.
CNN is introducing a paywall! Paid content is getting closer to our everyday life, and no, we're not just talking about Netflix and Spotify. It's October 2024 CNN, one of the largest media outlets in the world, has decided to introduce a pay wall for its web portal. Following the example of other major media houses, CNN will require a monthly subscription to access its news. But he is not the only one. At the same time, Reuters, a global news giant, also launched a similar model, signaling a global shift in the way media outlets make money online.
The paywall is a reality - that's why CNN is introducing a paywall!
CNN will charge users 3.99 $ per month (or 30 $ per year) to have unlimited access to all the news on their web portal. It is part of a wider strategy led by new chief executive Mark Thompson, a former chief executive of the New York Times, which already successfully established a digital subscription model there. With this decision, CNN wanted to move away from its reliance on linear television, where advertising revenue is in decline.
Even Reuters, which has delayed implementing a paywall in recent years due to disputes with LSEG (former owner of financial data division Refinitiv), has finally taken this step. For just 1 $ per week (or 4 $ per month), it will give you unlimited access to your press coverage worldwide.
Why paywalls?
The media, which has relied on advertising revenue for years, is facing a reduction in that revenue due to the rise of Google, Meta and other advertising giants. Journalism, especially high-quality journalism, is not cheap. That is why more and more large media such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and now CNN and Reuters, decides on paywalls as a way of ensuring stable income. This is also why CNN is introducing a paywall to preserve jobs.
While some users express concern that they will thereby lose access to free information, media houses emphasize that they must invest in quality journalism and at the same time find a financially sustainable way of operating. In addition, key news such as "breaking news" will still be available for free.
Where does the future lead?
The future of digital journalism seems increasingly tied to subscriptions. Although it is CNN already tried in 2022 with your subscription service CNN+, which collapsed after a month, are now betting on a more thoughtful approach.
With this shift, however, digital journalism continues to evolve and is likely to encourage other media outlets to follow suit. The question remains: are we, as consumers, willing to pay for the news we once took for granted?
