Paid content proponents charge ahead

摘要

NYTimes.com, after a decade as a free site, announced May 16 that it would begin charging an annual fee for access to some content, including its op-ed columnists. On the same day, CNN.com announced that it would stop charging a fee to access its online video content, beginning June 20. So which is it? Will news content be free online or will it require an access fee? The short answer, industry observers say, is that must-have, valuable content will command a fee and commoditized content will not. "I think unique, differentiated, proprietary business content has clear value," said. Gordon Crovitz, senior VP of Dow Jones & Co. and president of its electronic publishing group, which charges an annual subscription to The Wall Street Journal Online. On the other hand, Charlie Till-inghast, general manager-publisher of MSNBC.com, said, "It is our view in general that news content will be advertiser-supported and will not be for-pay-type content."