The country's biggest publisher of news will soon begin charging readers of three titles for news online for the first time. Stuff is launching subscription-based websites for The Dominion Post, The Press and Waikato Times, but access to its main national news website stuff.co.nz will remain free.

The country's biggest publisher of news will soon begin charging readers of three titles for news online for the first time. Stuff is launching subscription-based websites for The Dominion Post, The Press and Waikato Times, but access to its main national news website stuff.co.nz will remain free.

Stuff's staff were briefed about the change this morning and it was officially unveiled at an event in Parliament this evening.

The name of Wellington-based daily Dominion Post will also change to The Post on Saturday, as announced on April 14. Stuff's main news website stuff.co.nz - which has a monthly audience of around 2m - will remain free to use.

"This means that the journalism produced by these newsrooms will largely only be accessible to subscribers while Stuff.co.nz remains the accessible, live, vibrant, addictive news site it is today," Stuff owner and CEO Sinead Boucher said in a statement.

Stuff has put almost all its news and content online for free since launching stuff.co.nz in 2000. It is the last major New Zealand newspaper publisher to offer online news to paying subscribers only.

Stuff's statement does not give details of the cost of subscriptions - or when they will begin.

It is also unclear whether significant local stories from three three mastheads with paywalls will be available to online readers nationwide without local subscriptions.

"Each masthead will feature sharp journalism reflecting the unique nature of the regions they operate in," Stuff's chief content officer Joanna Norris said in the statement.

Norris said Stuff's Wellington newsroom "will set the daily agenda" and focus on national issues as well as local ones.

"The (Parliamentary Press) Gallery team will continue to lead the charge on important political news, and the stories behind the policies," she said

"The Post is the capital's newspaper, aimed not just at Wellingtonians but people throughout the country who want to know what's going on behind closed doors in the halls of power, in Parliament and the public sector," she said.

"The Press and the Waikato Times are fierce champions for their local communities," said Norris.

Stuff also owns six regional mastheads - including the Timaru Herald, Nelson Mail and Manawatū Standard - as well as the Sunday Star Times and Sunday News. These are not affected by the paywall plan…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details