J-Source

Paywalls: backwards or forward?

The New York times has finally begun constructing its new Internet paywall, starting in Canada. J-Source asks: will others follow? The move, announced almost a year ago, has been declared a disaster by some, an inevitability by others. An earlier NewsCorp paywall experiment drove away 90 per cent of its online readers. The paywall marks…

The New York times has finally begun constructing its new Internet paywall, starting in Canada. J-Source asks: will others follow? The move, announced almost a year ago, has been declared a disaster by some, an inevitability by others. An earlier NewsCorp paywall experiment drove away 90 per cent of its online readers. The paywall marks a second attempt for the Times, which – along with the Wall Street Journal – removed its last paywall in 2007. However, a January 2011 experiment involving U.S. publications with paid online content found readership held steady, perhaps providing confidence to give it another try. Meanwhile, the industry’s free-Internet advocates are exploring ways to eliminate the need for paywalls.

The New York times has finally begun constructing its new Internet paywall, starting in Canada. J-Source asks: will others follow? The move, announced almost a year ago, has been declared a disaster by some, an inevitability by others. An earlier NewsCorp paywall experiment drove away 90 per cent of its online readers. The paywall marks a second attempt for the Times, which – along with the Wall Street Journal – removed its last paywall in 2007. However, a January 2011 experiment involving U.S. publications with paid online content found readership held steady, perhaps providing confidence to give it another try. Meanwhile, the industry’s free-Internet advocates are exploring ways to eliminate the need for paywalls.

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Patricia W. Elliott is a magazine journalist and assistant professor at the School of Journalism, University of Regina. You can visit her at patriciaelliott.ca.