Requirements and examples of qualified digital editions.
Categories of news media qualified digital editions:
Qualified Digital Individual Access
Free digital access can be counted as qualified digital individual access if the following requirements are met:
- The offer indicates that digital access is free whether it is for the digital edition alone or included with a paid print subscription.
- The consumer registers and activates or downloads the digital edition.
- A digital unit is counted on the actual day of access during the free subscription term or free digital single-issue access. Qualification is based on access*.
- On the day(s) of access, the circulation is reported as either:
- Digital Replica – Qualified Individual Access
OR - Total Average Paid Circulation – Digital Nonreplica
- Digital Replica – Qualified Individual Access
- Log files must be maintained for the audit.
* Only one digital unit can be claimed as qualified on the day of access, regardless of the number of times the consumer accesses the edition on the same or multiple platforms.
Example: Qualified Digital Individual Access (Free Digital Access Only)
Example: Paid Print with Qualified Digital Individual Access
Other Qualified Digital
Includes employee/contractor, NIE and university copies.
Qualification of other qualified digital circulation follows similar requirements as print. For full detailed requirements refer to the Other Qualified guide.
Below are some key requirements:
- Digital Employee/Independent Contractor:
- A limit of one copy per day, per recipient (print or digital, not both).
- Copies must be easily accessible to the recipient.
- If an employee or contractor works with more than one AAM client newspaper, only one publication may claim that copy for that individual.
- Digital Newspapers in Education (NIE):
- Must be used in an accredited classroom setting for grades kindergarten and above as part of the curriculum.
- A limit of one copy per student (print or digital, not both).
- Affidavits are collected at least annually after distribution, attesting to their use in the classroom as part of the curriculum and confirming delivery and quantity of print and digital editions.
- Digital University Copies:
- The college or university must request the newspapers.
- Registration and activation or downloading content initiates the subscription.
- Only copies accessed by students or faculty can be claimed.
- Each registered student and faculty member must have a unique identifier.
- Records are available to support unique student IDs and the number of students (unique IDs) who accessed the digital edition each day.
- The total copies per day, print and digital in aggregate, should not exceed the total number of registered college students and faculty.