Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Man Butt-Dials 911 While Discussing Murder Plans Floridian is charged after slaying »

Los Angeles Times to Launch Paywall

Paper's online content won't be free after March 5

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 24, 2012 4:07 PM CST

(Newser) – The Los Angeles Times is going behind a paywall next month, joining the ranks of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and most recently, Gannett. (The latter's hasn't gone into effect yet.) The LAT "membership program" will eventually cost $1.99 a week when combined with the Sunday paper, or $3.99 if not. Those who don't pay will get 15 free stories a month, a plan similar to that of the New York Times. Blogger Matthew DeBord has a closer look at the potential strengths and weaknesses of the LAT strategy here.

A 2008 photo of the Los Angeles Times building.
A 2008 photo of the Los Angeles Times building.   (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
7%
7%
16%
4%
4%
63%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 17 comments
Burrito7
Feb 25, 2012 9:29 AM CST
As a professional journalist, I'm really surprised at these comments. Newspapers have been hemorrhaging money for decades, and no, advertising hasn't supported newspapers since the 1990s. That's why papers have laid off most of their staff in the last decade, resulting in a serious drop in the depth and quality of reporting. Good journalism is a valuable product, and what's really shocking is that it took so many years for major players like the NY Times and the LA Times to wake up to the fact that people should pay for a valuable product. Don't want to pay for journalism? Fine. Then you'll have to spend the rest of your life on stories about Paris Hilton's new single, Kim Kardashian's marriage and the 10 most sleep-depriving careers -- in other words, utter crap. But for those of us who still care about foreign news, economic issues, war reporting, science and health issues, and anything more meaningful than Paris Hilton's boob job will somehow find a way to spend a few pennies a day for a good newspaper. Like an editor once told me, "People get the journalism they deserve." Don't you deserve better? If not, say hi to the Kardashians for me.
littlewolfplaying
Feb 25, 2012 6:17 AM CST
newspapers make there money off of advertising.they should be giving you the newspaper for free  that is what they did when i was a kid.......sounds like greed to me
SPHeroid
Feb 24, 2012 8:52 PM CST
Epitaph for the LA Times: "But we only wanted $1.99 per week"...... And it would take a special fool to pay $2.00 extra to NOT get the Sunday edition...

 
Los Angeles Times • newspaper industry • paywall • newspapers

 
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne