Should Paywalls Come Down for Election Coverage?

As Election Day nears, news organizations that keep their journalism behind a paywall will likely give some of it away for free.

When The New York Times dropped its paywall for 24 hours before election day in 2012, it was keeping with a policy of providing "critical information" for big breaking news like natural disasters and presidential elections. The Wall Street Journal, which has one of the industry's "hardest" paywalls, also offered its coverage for free on election night.

But should those paywalls come down well in advance of election day?

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