The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has released a new suite of digital news apps in what executives call a major milestone for the news organization as it seeks a greater foothold in the fast-growing mobile market.
The AJC is offering two new tablet apps for print subscribers and also unveiling new mobile phone apps available for free to all readers. The two-tiered effort is a move to reward subscribers with more options while also catering to the wider AJC audience.
“We need to meet our customers where they are,” said Amy Glennon, the AJC’s publisher. “They’re using combinations of print and digital and multiple digital devices. One size doesn’t fit all, so it’s time to have many sizes.”
New and existing print subscribers will automatically have access to two new products for tablets.
The first, the “Today’s Paper” application, allows readers to page through the newspaper, similar to the print edition. It will be updated with breaking news and top stories. Readers will also have access to favorites such as advertising inserts and comics through the app, which works on iPad, Android, Kindle and Nook tablets.
Also available is the AJC’s “News for iPad” app, a program with a clean, uncluttered format that will be continually updated with the latest stories and columns. It will feature enhanced multimedia content, including video and photo galleries.
Subscribers will also continue to have access to “e-Edition,” the page-by-page online versions of the AJC that’s accessible on computers.
Information on the AJC's pricing plans is available at ajcdelivers.com/access.
A range of free new products has been unveiled, in addition to those available for subscribers. The free products will include new apps for iPhone and Android devices that offer breaking news throughout the day and access to top stories and photo galleries. An updated mobile web format designed for smartphones was already introduced in November.
“It’s an important moment for the newspaper,” Glennon said. “We’re committed to continuing to build value for our subscribers. They’ll see it in our news coverage and its focus on deep local investigative journalism. And they’ll see it in the products we deliver that will allow them to read the AJC whenever and however they choose.”
The newspaper industry has long searched for new ways to monetize the Internet amid declining circulation and slowing advertising revenue. Many newspapers, from The New York Times to smaller dailies, have limited access to articles through paywalls and other restrictions. The Washington Post could follow suit in 2013.
AJC executives expect more offerings next year for print subscribers and other readers.
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