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NY Times Announces Paywall Plan

But that plan doesn't have the details

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 20, 2010 9:52 AM CST
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(Newser) – If you want to read the New York Times online, it's going to cost you—but not for everything and not until next year. The Times confirmed its planned paywall today, but execs “could not yet answer fundamental questions about the plan.” The Times will allow users to read a certain number of stories for free each month, then charge a flat fee for further unlimited access. But the company isn’t yet sure how much it’ll charge, or how many free articles readers will get.

“This announcement allows us to begin the thought process that’s going to answer so many of the questions that we all care about,” Arthur Sulzberger Jr. declared. “We can’t get this halfway right…We have to get this really, really right.” The paper says it’s been debating the switch for almost a year, and will continue debating it for another year—the pay system won’t go into effect until January 2011.

In this photo made Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, the New York Times appears for sale on a newspaper rack inside a coffee shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
In this photo made Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, the New York Times appears for sale on a newspaper rack inside a coffee shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.   (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
waloki
Jan 20, 2010 10:32 AM CST
How quickly they forget the debacle called Times Select. Doomed to repeat etc etc...
schmidtkoff
Jan 20, 2010 7:25 AM CST
the whole paper industry is a dying breed. the local charleston post and courier here in sc should be put out of its misery. the only thing i read are the editorials and letters to the editor. everything else is a day or two old, having already been read online.
Non-deep-thinker
Jan 20, 2010 6:04 AM CST
The NY Times has only to look as far as their own "Times Select" failure. They put in a "pay for" plan, & readership immediately dropped off. Duh. There's such an arrogance going on at that place though that they really DO believe they are indispensable and people simply can't get along without them. This arrogance is a big part of their problem. However, the humility choo-choo is just around the bend and should be arriving soon.
Media • Money

 
newspaper • New York Times • Arthur Sulzberger Jr. • newspaper industry • paywall

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