You’re missing the point. If there’s a news source that you occasionally read then it’s far more cost effective for you to just buy the paper at the stand for 50¢ the few times you want it. Same with magazines. If you read every newspaper then getting lower cost and delivery in return for the paper getting consistent revenue is a good deal for both parties.

If you get your news like most people, via link aggregators like HN, Reddit Facebook, Twitter then you get linked to dozens of publications that all want a $5/mo. commitment which is untenable.

It would be neat if news sites would start offering 50 cent day passes instead of difficult to cancel subscriptions.

I sort of half thought apple news might go that way. might not be cost effective - bundling larger subscription stuff is probably more revenue/profit.

But... in their news app, there's always a couple of interesting articles I might want to read, but I'm not signing up. They have my info, and a Touch ID device I'm holding tied to my payment info. "Read this article for 50c?" I'd certainly give some a read now and then.

My daily newspaper costs 2€ at the newsstand, not cents. With a monthly subscription of 5€. Pretty much worth it.

I have been subscribing valuable information sources since 1995, so I do get the point.

Except it’s not $5, it’s $5 to sign up, then an email and a phone call and your firstborn dog to unsubscribe. If it were microtransactions, that’d be one thing...

If the service doesn't play ball there is always the consumer protection agency.

That doesn’t work. I find it better to stay anonymous and avoid spam from these services.

The perpetual spam is worse for me than the $5.