It's been reported that Newsday.com has had only 35 sign-ups to its paid website.
Opponents of so-called "paywalls" will cite this as evidence that they don't work. And it is stupid of Newsday to put its entire website behind a subscription barrier.
Nevertheless, there are some mitigating points:
1. You can get a seven-day print subscription to Newsday for $4.50 per week. As a subscriber you get Newsday.com access for free. So why pay more to get only the website?
2. Subscribers to Cablevision (Newsday's parent) also get free access. Cablevision has several million subscribers in the New York area who also get free access to Newsday.com.
So there is very little reason to subscribe just to Newsday.com. These numbers are not very instructive for The New York Times or anyone else.
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