New York Times to charge for online access

The New York Times is to charge readers for full access to its website from next year

The title is introducing a meter system which will give users free access to a certain number of stories each month before charging. Subscribers to the print edition will have full access to the website.

Arthur Sulzberger, company chairman and publisher of the newspaper, said: “This announcement allows us to begin the thought process that’s going to answer so many of the questions that we all care about. We can’t get this halfway right or three-quarters of the way right. We have to get this really, really right.

“This is a bet, to a certain degree, in where we think the web is going. Our audiences are very loyal and we believe that our readers will pay for our award-winning digital content and services. This process of rethinking our business model has also been driven by our desire to achieve additional revenue diversity that will make us less susceptible to the inevitable economic cycles.”

It is unknown how much the paper will charge for stories or how many will be accessible for free before charging begins.

Several publishers are planning on charging for online content this year, with News Corporation one of the most vocal backers of the idea. Last August, Rupert Murdoch announced plans to charge, saying “quality journalism is not cheap”.

“The digital revolution has opened many new and inexpensive distribution channels but it has not made content free. We intend to charge for all our news websites.”