Hackett argues that a "forum on the internet [...] can function as a specialized or smaller-scale public sphere."[48] In the past, the internet has been an ideal location for the general public to gather and discuss relevant news issues[49] – an activity made accessible first through free access to online news content, and subsequently the ability to comment on the content, creating a forum. Erecting a paywall restricts the public's open communication with one another by restricting the ability to both read and share online news.