By Emily Tomasik and Michael Lipka | Pew Research
Newspaper revenue has been in decline for decades, and most Americans now prefer to get news from digital devices. In this environment, many news organizations – and not just newspapers – put paywalls on their websites or apps, blocking access to articles or other content unless news consumers pay or subscribe.
The vast majority of Americans (83%) say they have not paid for news in the past year, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March. Another 17% say they have directly paid or given money to a news source by subscribing, donating or becoming a member during that time.
At the same time, 74% run into paywalls at least sometimes when they are looking for news online. This includes 38% who say they come across paywalled articles extremely often or often.
What people do when they reach a paywall
The survey also asked anyone who said they ever come across paywalls what they typically do first when that happens.
Just 1% say they pay for access when they come across an article that requires payment.
The most common reaction is that people seek the information somewhere else (53%). About a third (32%) say they typically give up on accessing the information.
Why Americans don’t pay for news
![FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B[1]](https://rockymountainvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B1-300x300.png)