How the Forward removed its paywall – and generated 37% more revenue - News Revenue Hub

"The Forward has a storied history. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily, it soon became a national publication — and the most widely read Jewish newspaper in the world. In 1990, the English version of the Forward launched as a weekly publication. In 2019, the Forward went fully digital.

And on December 5, 2023, the Forward marked its latest milestone: The publication removed the paywall for all of its coverage....

In the first three months since dropping the paywall, the newsroom welcomed 1,254 new donors who hadn’t previously paid to access their coverage. From December 5, 2023 to March 15, 2024, the Forward received nearly $583,000 in donations under $5,000 — a 37% increase over paid subscription revenue during the same time frame the previous year.

In December, the month the Forward removed the paywall, the nonprofit saw a 103% increase in reader revenue under $5,000, compared to the same time last year. That includes 176 new monthly recurring donors, averaging $16/month. Previously, an annual digital subscription brought in $51.21, just over $4/month.

And among the Forward’s 17,000 existing subscribers, who were currently paying to read stories behind the paywall, only three readers complained and asked for their money back. “Three! It’s amazing,” Ehrlich laughed...."