The Burlington Free Press went through a major makeover in June, and since then appears to have lost online market share and readers, according to a story in Sunday’s New York Times.
The 185-year-old newspaper innovated in an attempt to attract a younger readership. The state’s largest daily went from broadsheet to a tabloid and from free online access to a paywall. Free Press editors gave reporters iPads and iPhones and asked them to become multi-media journalists.
Reader response has been mixed. The Free Press’ online readership has dropped from 600,000 uniques a month to 530,000 over the last four months, according to Mike Townsend, executive editor, who is quoted in the Times article.
Gannett Company, which owns the Burlington newspaper, recently overhauled USA Today, its flagship national daily. The Times story bills the Free Press as a prime example of the kinds of changes Gannett plans to make to its 80 newspaper properties around the country.
