ABSTRACT Declining advertising revenue and print copy sales have propelled extensive paywall experiments in local newspapers to generate new revenue and fund local journalism. The success of these experiments is ultimately depending on whether or not they deliver the value that customers require. This article studies local newspapers’ potential to build successful paywalls by conducting a two-sided analysis of paywall value propositions and local news audiences’ responses to these value propositions. Drawing on mixed methods – in-depth interviews with 20 newspaper managers and a national survey (N = 1586) among local newspaper audiences – our study identifies a major gap between intended value of paywalls and customer value perception and behavior. These are misalignments between the intended attractiveness of paywalled content and audience attitude toward this content, and misalignments between access to paywalled content and use. Local newspapers’ offerings are particularly misaligned with younger, lower income and lower news interest customers. When these groups hit a paywall, they most likely bounce off.

中文翻译：

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跳出付费墙——了解当地报纸价值主张与受众反应之间的错位

摘要 不断下降的广告收入和印刷版销售推动了当地报纸进行广泛的付费墙试验，以产生新的收入并为当地新闻业提供资金。这些实验的成功最终取决于它们是否提供了客户所需的价值。本文通过对付费专区价值主张和当地新闻受众对这些价值主张的反应进行两方面分析，研究了当地报纸建立成功付费专区的潜力。利用混合方法——对 20 名报纸经理的深入访谈和对当地报纸受众的全国调查 (N = 1586)——我们的研究确定了付费墙的预期价值与客户价值认知和行为之间的重大差距。这些是付费内容的预期吸引力与观众对该内容的态度之间的错位，以及付费内容的访问和使用之间的错位。当地报纸的产品与年轻、收入较低和对新闻兴趣较低的客户尤其不一致。当这些团体遇到付费墙时，他们很可能会反弹。