“New York Times” To Start Charging Online Readers

By Amanda Pendolino on January 18th, 2010

I’ve always liked getting my news from a variety of sources. A little HuffPo, a little New York Times, some LA Times, and of course, gotta have my Anderson Cooper. Unfortunately, the New York Times may get crossed off my list as, according to New York magazine, the classic paper will soon start charging its online readers instead of offering its content for free.

After a year of internal debate, the New York Times has adopted the metered pay system adopted by the Financial Times, in which readers can sample a certain number of free articles before being asked to subscribe. It’s all going down sometime this spring. Times spokesperson Diane McNulty said: “We’ll announce a decision when we believe that we have crafted the best possible business approach. No details till then.”

In its decision, the New York Times rejected two other pay options. One is the Wall Street Journal’s traditional pay wall, in which some parts of the site are free and some subscription-only. The other is NPR’s membership model, in which subscribers would receive privileges like tote bags, travel mugs and access to Times events and seminars.

If you currently read the New York Times online, will the new system make you stop? Is the brand name important enough for you to pay? I love the Times, but I don’t know if it’s worth the money when I can find the same information elsewhere.