The Baltimore Banner drops paywall to celebrate first anniversary
BALTIMORE -- WJZ's media partner The Baltimore Banner is celebrating its first anniversary by making all coverage available for free on Wednesday and Thursday.
The outlet said it will look back at the powerful local stories that made the biggest impact on the community in the past year while it gives readers access to stories for free on the app and website.
The Baltimore Banner is a nonprofit independent news organization owned by The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism.
According to a letter from publisher Imtiaz Patel, the Banner has experienced relatively fast growth as a local news startup, with nearly 75,000 subscribers with paid access, and more than a million unique visitors to its site last month.
While the outlet's paid subscription model is what Patel called a financial necessity, regular free access to the Banner is available through the Enoch Pratt Free Library and cable provider Project Waves.
Patel said the Banner will also be available "to hundreds of low-income households within weeks, and we are working on other ways to expand this initiative further."