Reuters puts its website behind a paywall

The redesigned website is aimed at a “professional” audience wanting business, financial and general news.

After registration and a free preview period, a subscription to Reuters.com will cost $34.99 a month, the same as Bloomberg’s digital subscription. The Wall Street Journal’s digital subscription costs $38.99 a month. The New York Times costs $18.42 monthly.

Reuters.com attracts 41 million unique visitors a month. Months of audience research showed that those readers were divided in two separate groups: those wanting breaking news and professionals looking for context and analysis about how news affected their industry.

Reuters will roll out new sections on its website for subscribers in coming weeks that include coverage of legal news, sustainable business, energy, health care and the auto industry. It also plans to introduce industry-specific newsletters.

The new website is described as “the largest digital transformation at Reuters in a decade.”

Arlyn Gajilan, Reuters digital news director, said she expected to expand the digital team working on the revamped website. Reuters new editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni, who takes over on Monday, had been closely involved in the new direction of Reuters.com, she said.

“She’s a very strong advocate for all things digital at Reuters,” Gajilan said. ■