Starting today, visitors to the Albert Lea Tribune’s website are asked to answer a few questions each day in order to access the full content of local news and sports.

The partnership with Google is easy to use and takes just a second or two. Those who don’t want to answer a question can instead share the article on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter to gain full access.

Implementing the questions was not a decision made lightly but is simply a product of the ever-evolving structure of how news organizations afford to gather and disseminate information and remain a viable business at the same time.

We here at the Tribune strive for the perfect balance between serving readers and giving away for free something that costs money to produce.

Most companies have opted to charge readers through paid websites or provide limited access to non-paying readers.

Our partnership with Google is an effort to continue to provide our readers in Freeborn County and beyond with free news in an electronic format.

We are not asking for your money, simply a few seconds of your time.

Readers will be asked to answer one or two questions to have near total access to the site.

That’s it.

Questions range from general ones about purchasing habits to specific ones about watching a particular show or choosing which advertisement is more appealing.

Here are a few examples:

Which one of these food items would you prefer to eat while watching a sporting event?

Popcorn

Pizza

Chicken wings

Chips

Hot dog

How important is new technology when considering a new vehicle?

Not at all important

Somewhat important

Very important

The Tribune will continue to be the best source for comprehensive news about Freeborn County, as it has been for 115 years.

How the news is delivered or accessed may have changed, but the basic tenets have not.