Guardian promises 'Extra' members newsroom visits and access to editors

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A new membership scheme will give Guardian readers "special access" to the papers' editors; newsroom visits; and interviews and events involving some of its "most respected and senior journalists".

The 'Extra' scheme will give subscribers to the Guardian, the Observer and guardian.co.uk the opportunity "to get closer to its journalism at regular and exclusive live events, background briefings from experts, and a host of other exclusive offerings," Guardian News & Media announced today.

"The scheme also has an unparalleled range of special offers with a host of carefully selected top-flight partners, including the V&A, National Portrait Gallery, Eden Project, Alastair Sawday's Travel Club, English National Opera, and Tate Britain, to name but a few," says the company.

"Extra will be different from traditional newspaper membership schemes in that events and activities will be truly reflective of the Guardian and the Observer’s editorial coverage," said Richard J Thompson, head of membership, Guardian News & Media.

"It will provide us with a unique opportunity to explore many areas of mutual interest. It is about strengthening our most important relationship, our readership, and in turn providing a range of benefits that they wouldn’t get elsewhere."

Current subscribers will automatically join the scheme and for non-subscribers there is a free trial until the end of August guardian.co.uk/extra. Non-subscribers will pay £25 after 31 August: the terms and conditions of the scheme can be found at this link.

Events and membership plans

Alan Rusbridger last year laid out plans for developing GNM's membership and events offering. Speaking at a Media Standards Trust event last July he talked about monetising 900,000 Twitter followers, for example .

Providing specialised information and journalism in the online community is a way forward he believes: "I don't know if [Guardian journalists] are experts, but they're specialists, and I absolutely think the role of specialists on the Guardian is crucial," he said.

Speaking to Journalism.co.uk afterwards he said: "I spend the money, I don't make it. But the commercial people on the Guardian, when they talk about it, they find it [specialised events] a highly interesting thought."

He acknowledged that the Washington Post came under fire for attempting to sell access to political journalists, and said that was not what he was describing: "I'm not thinking of selling influence or access - that was almost like lobbying.

"I think in the same way that we have an events business on the back of the paper, where we will discuss education and have an annual public services conference where people pay to come along to that, we can copy that kind of that thing, rather than selling access." More detailed for the club were first revealed last August .