The #2 piece of feedback we’ve been getting from our NAA (Newspaper Association of America) training webinar on paywall design, is everyone wants to see an example of a well-designed newspaper paywall (presumably so they can consider copying it.)
Although our training session featured copy-worthy samples from other types of subscription content sites, the only way we featured newspaper paywalls was to show what’s wrong with them.We’re not normally negative people. We’ve tried really hard to find newspaper paywalls featuring best practices, but, truthfully, they are all so awful.
At this point, it’s like bashing your head against a brick wall. Either you start screaming with pain, or you give in to black humor.
Hence the launch of the Worst Newspaper Paywall Contest in Subscription Site Insider’s editorial department. It’s an internal contest only — just to keep our spirits up through this long winter.I don’t want to name names, because that’s just a little too mean for my taste. So I won’t reveal who the contest front-runners are. But, please, if you know of a newspaper paywall that’s actually well designed … using at least a couple of best practices … let us know. There’s got to be some light at the end of the tunnel.
