When I first became an editor, one of the many bits of sage advice my former mentor, the enigmatic Alastair Machray MBE, former editor of the Liverpool Echo, gave me was to ‘eat the frog first’.

In other words, get the unpleasant business out of the way first thing.

So, here goes.

Later this autumn, we will be introducing digital subscriptions to Isle of Man Today.

I appreciate that telling people something they have become used to receiving for nothing is going to cost money is unlikely to make me the most popular person in the island.

But I also think we owe you a proper explanation as to why we're doing it.

So I'd appreciate it if you'd give me until the end of this column before making your mind up.

First of all, there's no getting away from it: newspaper sales are declining - and have been for quite some time.

You probably don't need me to tell you that. A quick Google with a few choice keywords will confirm it.

One of the starkest examples I've seen was a 2024 Press Gazette article carrying the headline ‘Colossal decline of UK regional media since 2007’.

Isle of Man Today editor Dion Jones
Isle of Man Today editor Dion Jones (Media Isle of Man)

That story may have been published two years ago, but the situation remains the same.

Ironically, if you read enough articles about the challenges facing the newspaper industry, you'll eventually encounter one that's behind a paywall.

There's a reason for that.

More and more people now turn to the convenience and immediacy of the internet for their news.

We've seen record numbers of people reading our journalism online over the past few years, which is obviously something we're delighted about.

But there's a problem.

By far the biggest complaint I receive about our website concerns the ‘terrible’ automated adverts which, readers regularly tell me, make it difficult to read.

And, frankly, I agree.

Those intrusive and somewhat annoying adverts do generate some money for the journalism you're reading. But despite record audiences, because of wider market factors, the amount they generate for us is getting smaller.

Something has to change.

But there's a deeper reason behind this decision, and it's one I think is far more important.

We think our journalism is worth paying for.

I'm incredibly proud of the work produced by our team of dedicated journalists.

From court cases and breaking news to exclusive interviews and in-depth features, we pride ourselves on trying to bring you the best news, views and features from across the Isle of Man.

We work hard and long hours doing the best work we possibly can - and none of that work just appears on a website.

It requires reporters to go out and find stories, attend court cases and public meetings, ask questions, speak to people, check facts and, occasionally, spend a considerable amount of time pursuing stories which don't necessarily produce anything at all.

That costs money.

There are different ways of paying for journalism.

Some media organisations receive public funding. Some rely heavily on advertising.

More and more, however, are asking their readers to subscribe.

From next month, we're going to ask the people who regularly read and value our journalism online to contribute directly towards producing it.

So, what will actually change?

Later this autumn, you'll still be able to read a limited number of our articles each month without paying.

After that, you'll be asked to subscribe.

A digital subscription will cost £4.99 a month - less than the price of two coffees at one of those chain coffee houses - and will give you unlimited access to all our digital journalism on Isle of Man Today, including Gef, which has recently been integrated into the Isle of Man Today website, as well as our digital archive.

If you subscribe, you'll also get a cleaner, ad-light experience.

And we want subscribers to play a greater part in what we do. We'll be asking for your views and feedback to help inform our editorial strategy and give us a better understanding of the stories, subjects and issues you want us to pursue.

We're also working very hard behind the scenes to improve the experience for subscribers to our website. I'll be able to tell you more about those improvements in due course.

And if you're already an e-edition subscriber, don't worry.

You'll be moved seamlessly across to our new subscription platform. You'll actually pay less than you do now, while getting more for your money - including continued access to the digital editions of our newspapers as well as unlimited access to all our journalism.

In fact, access to our e-editions will be included for everyone who takes out a digital subscription.

And for those of you who prefer the newspaper you can actually hold in your hands, nothing is changing.

We will continue to produce the Isle of Man Examiner, Manx Independent and Isle of Man Courier with the same love, care and attention we always have.

Print remains an enormously important part of what we do, and introducing digital subscriptions doesn't change that.

There's something else worth making clear.

If you subscribe, you aren't just buying access to a website.

You're helping to pay for our reporters to continue reporting on the Isle of Man.

That includes journalists like Adrian Darbyshire, whose painstaking reporting has followed the island's links to alleged transnational organised crime and international money laundering, and Tom Curphey, whose reporting takes him across the island covering the people, events and stories that make up everyday Manx life.

You're helping us continue to cover the courts, scrutinise decisions, ask awkward questions when they need asking, tell the stories of people across the island and be there when something happens.

You're helping to sustain trusted, independent local journalism produced here in the Isle of Man.

That's ultimately what you're paying for.

For those of you who have read this far and are thinking, ‘I'm not paying for that rubbish’, that's absolutely fine.

You don't have to.

Enjoy the next few weeks of unrestricted access to Isle of Man Today. And when subscriptions arrive later this autumn, you'll still be able to read a limited number of our stories each month for free.

We hope that what we produce will eventually persuade you that £4.99 a month is worth it.

Because that's really the big challenge for us.

I can't just write a column telling you that our journalism is worth paying for.

We have to prove it.

And I can promise you that we will continue to work as hard as we can to serve you and the Isle of Man in the best way we can.

Thank you very much for reading.

If you have any questions about the changes, I'd genuinely like to hear them. You can email me at [email protected] or contact the newsdesk at [email protected]