17 Mayıs 2005 Salı

NYTimes.Com Goes Subscription Only, Mod-Blog Stops Posting from It

Well, it is official. After starting out with a registration-required policy for reading the New York Times Online, the "Old Gray Lady" has decided it is no longer giving the milk away for free. As of September, they will be restricting their archives and their Op-Ed pages to folks who pay them $49.95 per year. A snippet of the announcement is posted here, as I am not making anyone click thru.
A decision by The Times about charging users for portions of its Web site had been expected for months in the media industry. While some efforts by other newspapers to charge for content online have worked, others have been withdrawn, including most recently one by The Los Angeles Times, which decided last week to stop charging users a fee for its online entertainment listings, reviews and criticism.
Though advertising on Web sites accounts for only 2 to 3 percent of the revenues of most newspapers, it is the fastest-growing source of revenue. Still, many newspaper Web sites fear that charging money for Internet content may send readers to free sites, with advertisers following close behind.
The New York Times's decision to charge a fee came after about a year of study, said Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman of the Times Company and publisher of the newspaper.
Mr. Sulzberger said that while some Internet users accustomed to free content might not be willing to pay, many others would be attracted by the online package of columnists, archives and other material.
I understand the need to profit from the web, but I can not support this decision. If everyone else can make a buck off the web without charging for existing content, why can't the NYTimes? It makes sense to offer NEW features for a price, but not ones that have always been free. In protest, Mod-Blog will not longer be posting New York Times articles. At all. Well, actually, I only speak for myself, but I suspect the others will agree. Too bad. I enjoyed reading Thomas Friedman each week.

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