Green Bay Paper Seeks Voluntary Subscriptions

By: E&P Staff The Green Bay (Wis.) News-Chronicle has started asking visitors to its Web site to purchase one-time "voluntary subscriptions."

"Our income from providing this service does not begin to cover its expenses, and that has become a problem for us," News-Chronicle Publisher Frank Wood wrote in a note to readers. "We do not want to charge a given amount for the service we are providing you, but we feel we must do something to help defray the costs. We have therefore come up with this idea: a voluntary subscription drive."

Wood told the Associated Press that about $500 has been donated since the appeal was first made about a week ago. A form on the paper's site invites readers to contribute $12, $24, $48, $72, $144 or other amounts via credit card.

Wood told readers that other Wisconsin newspapers are charging for Web content, especially Green Bay Packer coverage. "We do not want to do this," he said. "We've historically said we would not care if we make money with the News-Chronicle, but it would be nice to at least break even. Will you help us? Are we worth it? Let us know!"

The News-Chronicle (Monday circulation 7,100) was launched in 1972 during a strike at the Green Bay Press-Gazette (circulation 56,943). Wood bought the strike paper in 1976.

Wood said his Web site had over 1 million page views and 83,000 unique users in November.

Many self-published Web sites ask visitors to make donations via a popular program run by Amazon.com -- which gets a percentage of any gifts made. But this is probably the first time that a daily newspaper has sought voluntary contributions from readers.