CNN to Put Certain Articles Behind a Paywall

CNN will place some of its digital content behind a subscription paywall beginning next month, according to a report by The New York Times. This initiative will test subscription models similar to those of publications like The New Yorker, Wired, and The Wall Street Journal. CNN aims to generate additional revenue amid a decrease in cable TV viewership.

The introduction of a “metered” paywall is scheduled for early October. This paywall will require CNN’s frequent readers to pay for access after they have surpassed a certain, unspecified number of free articles. As the most visited news website in the United States, CNN attracts approximately 441.4 million visits per month, as reported by Press Gazette. Although the subscription price has not been disclosed, it is expected to start as an “inexpensive offering to gauge customer demand,” according to The New York Times.

Earlier this year, CNN experimented with a “registration wall” feature that restricted access to certain articles unless readers provided their email address. The publication’s paywall plans were hinted at in July during a company restructuring that resulted in the layoff of around 100 employees. CNN Chairman Mark Thompson announced plans to develop a digital subscription business, projecting it to generate “more than a billion dollars in revenue” to secure the company’s future.

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