The Cumberland & Westmorland Herald is proud to have brought locally-focused news to the people of Eden for more than 160 years.
The Herald has always been an active part of this community, and you have always supported us in return by buying and reading our newspaper.
The Cumberland & Westmorland Herald is independent and believes passionately in celebrating the successes of our community, and holding those in power to account.
We want to continue serving you for many years to come.
However, it is no secret that the journalism industry faces serious challenges.
Just like everyone else, the industry is feeling the pinch – many of our traditional sources of income have shrunk dramatically in recent years, with the likes of Google and Facebook hoovering up most of the advertising revenue while spending little on journalism.
We still sell more than 8,000 copies of the Herald every week. But the world has changed a lot since the newspaper was first published in 1860.
Our website allows us to reach more people than ever before, but the simple truth is, giving our stories away for free online is no longer a sustainable business model.
We know many people have become accustomed to receiving news online for free, but our journalism costs money to produce.
That is why we are now asking you to pay a small fee – 10p – to read some of our premium articles, while most of our stories will remain free to read.
We have introduced a secure system called Axate, which allows you to top up your virtual wallet to read those selected articles.
After you have paid for three articles, you have unlimited access for the rest of the week. A bit like a cover price. The more you read, the better value you get.
If you don’t read any premium articles, you won’t pay a penny – so it’s up to us to do a good job of writing the pieces you want and value!
The income this generates will help us sustain and build on our commitment to quality journalism.
We know this move will not be popular with everyone. However, those who support the new system can be assured they are helping to secure the future of the Herald and support independent journalism in Eden.
Click here to read the Axate frequently asked questions.
