Murdoch: Papers Need to Charge for Web Access

Mogul steps up plans to charge for all News Corp's web offerings

(NEWSER) - Rupert Murdoch says the days of News Corp.'s giving away news from its newspapers and TV stations on the Internet are numbered, the Financial Times reports. Murdoch, who earlier this year said he planned to test pay-to-read models, now says he plans to start charging for access to all news sites in his media empire. The mogul says the success of the Wall Street Journal's subscription plan proves consumers are willing to pay for quality content. More»

(NEWSER) - Content aggregators like Google—and yes, the humble site you’re reading now—are “parasites or tech tapeworms in the intestines of the Internet,” Robert Thomson, editor of the Wall Street Journal, told fellow News Corp. paper the Australian last week. He warned that the “mistaken perception” that online content should be free “will be a catalyst for action, and the moment is nigh.” More»

Clash of titans recalls Hearst v. Pulitzer

(NEWSER) - A newly Rupert Murdoch-ified Wall Street Journal throws down the gauntlet at the New York Times tomorrow, reports Newsweek, in the biggest battle of newspaper titans since Hearst v. Pulitzer. Murdoch is looking for (more) power and respect from the journalistic elite at a time when the Gray Lady is weakened by a huge loss of advertising and revenue. More»

Mogul plans all-out global fight vs. NY Times, Financial Times

(NEWSER) - As Rupert Murdoch celebrates his acquisition of Dow Jones, articles in the new jewel in his crown, the Wall Street Journal, and one of its biggest rivals, the New York Times, speculate about the future. They agree Murdoch will direct a titanic battle for ads and readers against both the Times and the Financial Times. There's unlikely a detailed "grand plan," said one source, citing Murdoch's preference for instinctive management. More»

Jobs complained to Murdoch about channel, supported New York Times

(NEWSER) - Steve Jobs told Rupert Murdoch to his face last year that Fox News is "destructive" and that he was "blowing it" with the conservative news channel, reports Gawker , in the latest round of excerpts from Walter Isaacson's biography of the Apple founder . Jobs was invited to speak at the annual News Corp management retreat in 2010, and in exchange for talking he got to speak directly with Murdoch. "Fox has become a destructive force in our society," Jobs told Murdoch over dinner. "You can be better, and this is going to be your legacy if you're not careful." Murdoch, for his part, seemed unconcerned by the criticism from Jobs' "left-wing view." More»