Intriguing experiment
We think Murdock has at least half an eye on the e-reader/slate market with this move, as does News International chief exec Rebekah Brooks. "These new sites, and the apps that will enhance the experience, reflect the identity of our titles and deliver a terrific experience for readers," she said.
"At a defining moment for journalism, this is a crucial step towards making the business of news an economically exciting proposition. We are proud of our journalism and unashamed to say that we believe it has value. This is just the start. The Times and The Sunday Times are the first of our four titles in the UK to move to this new approach. We will continue to develop our digital products and to invest and innovate for our customers."
This will be an intriguing experiment. The we think the WSJ can sustain a subscription model due to the high number of exclusives it breaks and the strength of its brand among in the business world. The Times, however, is just one of many UK broadsheets. There isn't too much stuff in The Times you can't get elsewhere, so it will be interesting to see if people are willing to pay.
Then again, you could always just copy and paste a Times headline into Google and get access to the full story without paying. It works just fine for the WSJ.
