What’s this about a digital subscription?

It has been a special source of pride for us at The Hightower Lowdown that, since our beginning, we’ve been able to count on reader subscriptions (mostly to our print newsletter) for the resources we need to operate. (We take no corporate advertising.) The transition to digital media complicates that picture, though: The ability to spread Hightower’s work to new readers through social media links to free content is incredibly exciting but, dang, it can be hard to both Spread the Word and Pay the Bills.

So here’s how we are trying to strike that balance: To make sure that people everywhere have easy access to our most urgent stories while also building a sturdier financial base, we’re using what’s called “metered access” on the site — in other words, a “paywall.” We’re hoping we can count on support from our most dedicated readers.

Here’s how it works:

• Anyone will be able to read (or listen) to 4 articles for free over a 30-day period.
• After that number of free articles, you’ll be asked to become a “Digital Lowdowner.” For just $10, Digital Lowdowners will have unlimited access to everything on the site for a full year, including the newsletter archives and complete access to all of Hightower’s Radio Lowdowns.
• Of course, if you can’t afford even that — that is, if you’re a student, on a fixed income, or you’ve just hit a rough patch, we don’t want to keep you away — you can register for continued complimentary access.

Because we’re in this fight for a truly people-powered democracy together, we hope you’ll join the Digital Lowdown ranks—your subscription will help keep The Hightower Lowdown strong. Thank you!

And if you’re already a subscriber to the print edition of the Lowdown, thank you, too!  Just note that, at this time, we are not able to link up digital subscriptions with print subscription accounts. So, if you want unrestricted digital access as well as your print subscription, please follow the instructions for becoming a Digital Lowdowner — at any level. We’ll keep working on tying the systems together.

And then let us hear your feedback about how the site is working for you. You can write us at editors [at] hightowerlowdown.org.

Thanks for reading the Lowdown!