An investigation into paywalls in the south african online news space
Date
2024
Authors
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Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Journalism should aspire to be a public good, meaning people should ideally have un-excluded and un-rivalrous access to the news. For news to be a public good, it must serve to educate and inform readers and be free from economic and political interference. However, journalism cannot be a public good if it is not financially viable. One way South African news organisations have sought to create financial viability and sustainability is through the implementation of paywalls. However, subscription services like paywalls pose a risk to journalism being a public good. South Africa’s unequal society, along with the digital divide, are major inhibitors to people being able to access news online. Paywalls further exacerbate this issue of access. This research aims to investigate paywalls in the South African online news space, within the context of journalism serving as a public good. In doing so, the research considered the digital divide, digital disruption of the newsroom, sustainability of the newsroom, and the positive and negative contributions of paywalls to South African online news. This qualitative research was conducted through a series of structured interviews with two of South Africa’s media houses, Media24 and Arena Holdings, which had both implemented paywalls for their online news sites. These case studies were then juxtaposed against Daily Maverick, which has kept its news free for all readers, but relies on a number of alternative funding models, including a membership model.
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024
Keywords
Paywalls, funding models, digital news, South African online news, South African news, state of the newsroom
Citation
Crossley, Gaye Tracey. (2024). An investigation into paywalls in the south african online news space [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg].