2010-10-28

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Acorn online content now offered free

'Paywall' removed

The new millennium has been a transformative time for newspaper publishing.

Changing reader habits and the advent of new technology have placed big demands on companies in the print news business.

The Acorn and its parent company, Times Media Group, understand that their biggest responsibility is not only the delivery of credible, relevant information in a timely fashion, but making sure residents have easy access to the publication when stories become available.

That’s why we’re super excited about the news being shared today.

Following a five-year stretch in which Acorn readers were given the option of purchasing online subscriptions to the paper, that so-called “paywall” is coming down.

“Mr. Publisher, tear down this wall,” the late President Ronald Reagan might have once said.

And so we did.

Starting immediately, all online content from our five Acorn publications will be available at no charge to the reader, meaning a paid subscription is no longer required to click and read articles. The weekly Acorn has always been delivered to your driveway at no cost—that more than 40-year tradition will continue—and from now on The Acorn on the internet will be free as well.

Why the change?

The Acorn is your community newspaper, and we want to make sure it stays that way. We believe it’s important that residents feel a connection to the stories we write and also learn about the businesses that advertise in their community. The absence of a paywall is the best way to ensure this free-flow of information remains.

We also invite readers to sign up for the new, easy-to-read Acorn newspaper e-edition delivered weekly to your e-mail. Viewed on mobile, desktop or laptop, the pages are super easy to navigate and, free, just like the print paper.

Local journalism is first gear in the engine that drives America’s free press, and a free press it shall be.

Archives

Rattler baseball team slithers into first



Football report on one-week hiatus



The Acorn’s High School Football Report, our online podcast previewing Friday night games throughout Ventura County, will take a one-week break and return Nov. 4. The weekly podcast can be accessed at www.theacornonline/sports.

Lancers left celebrating on Westlake’s home court

Warrior sophomore Krems loses first league set of her career

In a heavyweight battle between the Marmonte League’s top girls’ tennis teams, Thousand Oaks High landed a one-two combo that rocked the Conejo Valley. With the Lancers having already wrapped up the match Tuesday evening at Westlake—a result that put TOHS in position to claim its second straight league title—Thousand Oaks sophomore Alison Ho did the unthinkable. Under a dark […]

County’s finest vying for cross country titles



Ready. Set. Go! The area’s top high school cross country runners will battle for first-place medals during the Ventura County Championships on Friday at Lake Casitas in Ojai. The action is scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m. In the latest CIF-Southern Section polls, the boys’ teams from Camarillo, Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Oaks Christian were ranked, as were girls’ […]

Matosevic brings the thunder from down under

Australian wins Pro Tennis Championships of Calabasas

Marinko Matosevic, the No. 6 seed from Australia, captured his second career United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit $50,000 Challenger title Monday, coming back to defeat secondseeded Ryan Sweeting (2-6, 6-4, 6-3) in a match that was suspended the previous day due to rain. Matosevic, who earned a $7,200 first-place purse for winning the 10th annual USTA Men’s Pro Tennis […]

Take Your Acorn on Vacation



How to submit: E-mail your vacation photo as a .jpg attachment only to vacation@theacorn.com. Include name, address, phone number and a brief description of the scene. All entries will be published after the 2011 winners are announced on either the first or second week of October 2011. Thank you!

Steinhardt knocks Smith off local water board

Concerns over employee salaries and benefits resonate with voters

By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com     Challenger Barry Steinhardt surprised incumbent Jeff Smith with a 15 percent margin of victory in Tuesday’s contest to represents the Las Virgenes Municipal Water agency’s 5th District, which covers most of Agoura Hills.           A total of 3,817 voters participated in the election. Nearly 58 percent of the electorate backed  the newcomer.     During the […]