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.

It is a significant change, particularly for readers who have become used to getting much of their local news online without paying. But there are important reasons behind it.

The Farnham Herald has been serving its community since 1892, reporting on the events, issues and people that have shaped the town for more than 130 years.

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.

The challenge is that journalism's traditional business model has been fundamentally altered 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 need to fund local journalism has not gone away.

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

That work takes time, investment and skilled journalists. And while the way readers access their news has changed enormously since 1892, the importance of having journalists on the ground has not.

That is why subscriptions are becoming an increasingly important part of funding local news coverage.

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

If you prefer to get your news online, many stories will still be available free of charge.

You can access a limited number of articles before being asked to register and, once you've reached your free allowance, subscribe to continue enjoying our coverage.

Some stories, however, will be available to subscribers only from the outset.

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 – equivalent to around £1.06 a week and saving £4.99 compared with paying monthly at the standard rate.

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

As well as unlimited access to all our content, subscribers will also get a cleaner reading experience, with fewer adverts.

We're hugely grateful to everyone who has already signed up.

And we do recognise that the change will not be universally popular.

But if local newspapers are to continue holding those in authority to account, celebrating community achievements, and reporting on the stories that might otherwise go untold, that work has to be funded.

We hope you agree that around £1 a week is a reasonable price to pay to help sustain trusted, verified and independent local news.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your support.