Effective immediately, The Mirror is ending its policy that allows users of the website to access all the news articles, photos and other online content free of charge.

The website is now operating with a paywall that will require users to have a subscription in order to access content.

“We are late in making this change, but it certainly makes sense for us to do so,” said Chad Lawhorn, who is the publisher of The Mirror and its sister paper the Lawrence Journal-World. “The news industry is more reliant than ever on subscribers to help support the costs of producing journalism.

“We had some technical issues with our website that held us back from implementing a paywall sooner, but we’ve resolved those with a redesign of the website. The numbers tell us this is the best move to make to ensure quality journalism for the community for years to come.”

Website data showed that The Mirror’s website has been attracting about 4,500 users per week, while print circulation of the newspaper has dropped below 1,000 subscribers. Lawhorn said the company remains committed to producing a printed newspaper for Tonganoxie. The new subscription options will provide a package deal that allows people to purchase a subscription to the print newspaper and full access to the website for one price.

An all-access digital subscription to The Mirror’s website is priced at $49.99 per year, which includes weekly delivery of a print edition of The Mirror. We also are offering combination packages that give subscribers full access to TonganoxieMirror.com and LJWorld.com for $12.99 per month. For $25.99 per month, subscribers can receive full access to both websites and also receive print editions of both The Mirror and the Journal-World delivered to their homes or businesses.

All current print subscribers of The Mirror will have full access to TonganoxieMirror.com upon creating a username and password.

To create a username and password, send an email to subs@ljworld.com with your name and address. A customer service representative will email you back the necessary username and password to access the website.

Lawhorn said the number of users who come to The Mirror’s website on a weekly basis is encouraging.

“A lot of people enjoy getting their news online, and we are grateful that they turn to us for news about their community,” Lawhorn said.

The Mirror has won some of the top journalism awards from the Kansas Press Association in recent years. In its most recent contest, The Mirror and its News Editor Shawn Linenberger again won the Sweepstakes Award as the state’s top weekly newspaper in its circulation category.

“The community and our company are lucky to have a journalist as dedicated as Shawn,” Lawhorn said. “The plan is that this new subscription program ultimately will give Shawn the resources to get more voices into our coverage by using more freelance writers and more photographers to cover the community even more broadly.

Lawhorn said the company is immediately looking to expand its advertising staff for The Mirror. The company is interested in hiring a part-time position that can work more closely with local businesses on advertising and marketing needs.

The redesigned website will provide more opportunities for businesses to reach customers digitally, in addition to reaching consumers through traditional newspaper advertising.

“The biggest thing is I want somebody who really is a part of the Tonganoxie community working with Tonganoxie businesses on their marketing,” Lawhorn said. “That’s what is going to work best for everyone involved. It could be a good opportunity for a person who has good connections with the local business community, and who is looking for extra income.”

People interested in applying can reach out to Linenberger directly, or can contact the company’s director of marketing and advertising, Allison Tait, at atait@ljworld.com.

“I’m excited about these initiatives,” Lawhorn said. “Tonganoxie is such a high quality community. It has a strong group of businesses now, and it seems poised to add more.

“And the community spirit is great. Tonganoxie really is a top tier town in the state, and we are looking forward to being part of its future.”