Digital media
There is a large and growing number of online-only media in the UK. Many focus on news and provide either hyperlocal news or news from a specific ideological angle (e.g. The Canary). The broadsheet newspaper the Independent ceased to be available in print format and went online only in 2016. All newspapers have digital and print editions. The majority of newspapers are free to access although some newspapers are experimenting with a range of different payment models. The Times and FT are behind a paywall with no content available for free. Others such as the Independent offer limited content for free with additional content available to subscribers. The Guardian began raising extra revenue in 2016 by asking readers for one off contributions to support its journalism. It has expanded the revenue generated from readers who subscribe as ‘supporters’ or ‘members’ and have access to a range of additional content including podcasts and expert discussions. As shown in section 1.1 the digital audiences of many news media organisations are now larger than the print audiences.