Free newspaper subscriptions for readers without financial means
In the next three years, DPG Media will provide around 5,000 subscriptions to regional news titles annually to people who cannot afford them. The project focuses on people interested in news but who, due to circumstances, lack access to it.
This nationwide initiative builds on the pilot project by de Gelderlander, which distributed 175 subscriptions in the Nijmegen region in celebration of their 175th anniversary last year. In addition to all regional titles of AD, Het Parool is now also participating in the project. It involves both paper and digital subscriptions.
The growing news gap
Joris Gerritsen, initiator and editor-in-chief of de Gelderlander, says: “News is not free, but it should be accessible to everyone. There is a growing gap between the rich and the poor, and because quality journalism costs money, the news gap is also widening. Every person needs news to understand the world and certainly their own environment. Regional journalism plays an important role in this, as it brings both global and local news.”
Positive effects
Research from Radboud University Nijmegen, which followed and studied the initiative from de Gelderlander, has shown that access to regional journalism has positive effects. It turns out that after receiving the subscription, participants feel more connected to their surroundings. They are better informed about what’s happening in their region, which leads to greater engagement in society.
Collaboration with food banks
For this project, DPG Media is collaborating with local food banks and other organisations that do a lot for minimum-income households in about 20 cities. These organisations are responsible for distributing the subscriptions. Reporters from the participating titles hand out the flyers themselves at the various locations and engage with users of these organisations.
Positive contribution to promoting reading
With this project, DPG Media aims to make a positive contribution to promoting reading in the Netherlands. After all, reading newspapers can help counter the growing issue of illiteracy in the country. In the long term, DPG Media plans to make subscriptions available to the same target group for its Belgian news titles as well.
