The Duck of Minerva

FYI: Washington Post and No Paywall for .mil/.gov/.edu

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by Josh Busby

30 August 2013, 0733 EDT

You might not have been aware of this when the Washington Post paywall went up back in June, but there is no paywall if you have a .edu/.mil/.gov email address. Go here to obtain your free access. From the website:

By registering with a valid .gov/.mil/.edu email address, you will get free, unlimited digital access to washingtonpost.com whether you are at work, at home or on your mobile device.

Not sure what this means for their business model, but I’m certainly appreciative because the proliferation of paywalls meant limited the number of publications most of us could afford. I’m not sure if there are other sites that have a similar set-up, but I noticed that the Monkey Cage agreement with the Washington Post also had this built in.

Joshua Busby is a Professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. From 2021-2023, he served as a Senior Advisor for Climate at the U.S. Department of Defense. His most recent book is States and Nature: The Effects of Climate Change on Security (Cambridge, 2023). He is also the author of Moral Movements and Foreign Policy (Cambridge, 2010) and the co-author, with Ethan Kapstein, of AIDS Drugs for All: Social Movements and Market Transformations (Cambridge, 2013). His main research interests include transnational advocacy and social movements, international security and climate change, global public health and HIV/ AIDS, energy and environmental policy, and U.S. foreign policy.

5 Comments

  1. Ronanfitz
    Ronanfitz on 30 August 2013 at 09.16 EDT

    It seems a little much to offer free access to people with decent resources to begin with, and access to a plethora of info institutionally. I know thats not your fault (obviously) but I just wanted to rant a little

  2. Laleh
    Laleh on 30 August 2013 at 13.07 EDT

    Well, I have just signed in with my US .edu address and it still does not allow me access, so either their IT is not up to it, or the promise above is not actually really true.

    • Laleh
      Laleh on 30 August 2013 at 13.10 EDT

      Ok, I lied. I had to confirm my registration via the link you give and I seem to have access.

  3. Mihai Martoiu Ticu
    Mihai Martoiu Ticu on 30 August 2013 at 13.41 EDT

    Maybe they want to influence people with that kind of mail extensions. unfortunatedley they will not influence people outside US.

  4. andrewjhons101
    andrewjhons101 on 10 February 2014 at 05.45 EST

    Yes, I am also agree with Mihai .