Filed at 10:00 p.m. ET
DESTIN, Fla. (AP) -- News delivered online by four Freedom Communications Inc. newspapers in the Florida Panhandle is no longer free. They are among the first papers in Florida to charge for online subscriptions.
Two dailies, the Northwest Florida Daily News of Fort Walton Beach and The News-Herald of Panama City, and the twice-weekly Destin Log and weekly Walton Sun initiated the policy Thursday.
``We felt there's value to the content and we should get something for the value of the content,'' said Sue Lutz, president and chief executive officer of Freedom Interactive Newspapers of Florida, based in Destin.
She said the parent company based in Irvine, Calif., has left the decision whether to charge for online service to local managers.
``People who work expect to get paid, whether they deliver information or they deliver pizzas,'' said News-Herald Executive Editor Phil Lucas.
The four Panhandle papers took the step in part because in June each began posting its entire content, including advertising, as it appears in print, Lutz said. Previously, the Web sites included only selected local stories.
It would be unfair to local print subscribers to give away the identical product on the Web, which is largely accessed by out-of-town readers, Lutz said.
In a Sunday column, Northwest Florida Daily News Editor Ralph Routon wrote that free online sites were a mistake in the first place, noting his paper has received a barrage of complaints since announcing the new online policy.
``If we had charged even a nominal fee from the start we wouldn't have this situation now,'' Routon wrote. ``Instead of people being offended, they would look at today's advancement as paying more for a better product.''
The News-Herald charges $8.50 every four weeks and the Daily News $8.90 per calendar month ($7.90 for readers in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties) for online subscriptions.
Those prices are about $3 or $4 cheaper than home delivery, reflecting savings on paper, ink and delivery costs, Lutz said. Customers with home delivery can get online service at discounted prices.
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On the Web:
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http://www.nwfdailynews.com
