NY Times Makes All Online Content Free

The New York Times is ending its two-year experiment with paid online subscriptions and making all of its content free to  internet readers, Reuters reports. The move goes into effect tomorrow. Previously, those who wanted to read columnists such as Maureen Dowd and other premium content had to pay $7.95 a month for the TimesSelect service.

Times officials believe the paper can make more money by luring readers to its website and charging advertisers higher rates. That's the general trend in the industry, with the Wall Street Journal a notable exception. TimesSelect had about 225,000 paying customers, and another 500,000 or so had access through their print subscriptions. (More New York Times stories.)