You may have noticed something of a paradigm shift on our websites recently.

Registration and digital subscriptions have now been introduced across the Farnham, Alton, Bordon and Haslemere Herald sites, as well as the Petersfield Post and Woking News & Mail.

Of course, our printed newspapers will continue as normal and are from local retailers each week.

But readers who get their local news online will now be able to read a limited number of stories before being asked to register and, after reaching their free article allowance, subscribe.

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has already signed up. Your support is truly appreciated.

But we know the change will not be universally popular, especially after readers have become used to getting much of their online local news for free.

The issue is that journalism’s traditional model has been fundamentally changed by the digital age.

Advertising income for local publishers has fallen sharply in recent years, while much of the market has shifted online to global giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Meanwhile, the costs of producing local journalism remain much the same.

We still need reporters to cover courts, councils, crime, planning, businesses, schools, sport and the human-interest stories that matter, while being out and about in the communities we serve.

That is why subscriptions are becoming an increasingly important part of funding our industry.

A digital subscription costs £1 for the first month, followed by £4.99 a month, with a minimum three-month term.

An annual subscription costs £54.89 – around £1.06 a week and equivalent to getting one month free compared with the standard monthly rate.

Readers can also use the code SAVE10 to receive £10 off an annual subscription, bringing the price down to £44.89.

For this, subscribers will also get a cleaner reading experience, with fewer adverts.

The Farnham Herald has been serving its community since 1892, while our other titles also have long histories in the Surrey and Hampshire towns and villages we cover.

We want to make sure we’re still here for many years to come.

If local newspapers are to continue covering the stories that matter locally, our work has to be funded.

We hope you agree that around £1 a week is a fair price to help support trusted local journalism.

So, thank you again for supporting us.