Matt DeRienzo, CT Group Editor of the Journal Register Company, wrote a blog post with the headline “Hartford Courant Launches Paywall” which described the Courant’s new “premium” website.
The move leaves newspapers operated by Hearst (Connecticut Post, Stamford Advocate, Greenwich Time, Danbury News Times) and Journal Register Co. (New Haven Register, Middletown Press and The Register Citizen of Torrington) and the Norwalk Hour as the only dailies in Connecticut not to have moved to some kind of paywall model.
In response, Courant Publisher Richard Graziano issued this statement:
The Hartford Courant has not implemented a pay-wall. What Mr. DeRienzo is referencing is market research. CourantPlus is one of many CT1 Media products currently in the research and development phase. CT1 Media is acutely customer-focused. We continuously create new and innovative products that satisfy the ever-changing needs and desires of our audience – readers, viewers and advertisers. We have made no determination about launching CourantPlus, its accessibility or pricing requirements. Additionally, Mr. DeRienzo is unfair to speculate on staff to support this product. The Hartford Courant takes great pride in providing quality content and trusted reporting on all its media platforms and will ensure this tradition continues.
Not true about the paywall. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/204804/hartford-courant-says-new-site-does-not-have-a-paywall/
The Bristol Press and New Britain Herald websites are still free.