Media News - Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Economist to charge readers for its online news content

The Economist is to charge for news content across its website, mirroring the recent move made by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation to introduce a paid-for model for its online news content. Economist.com currently offers its readers free access to news content on the site, including the news copy from its £4 cover price weekly magazine. However, editorial copy more than a year old is charged for. Yvonne Ossman, publisher of The Economist in the UK, revealed to Media Week that the brand would move to a paid-for content model, following the completion of a review. The move is being driven through by Ben Edwards, publisher of Ecomomist.com, and the brand is understood to be looking at a number of payment options, including an iTunes-style micropayment model. The move to the paid-for model, expected to be introduced within the next six months, marks something of a reversal for the brand, which, in 2007, moved to a predominantly free model. It had previously provided a mix of paid-for and free content, before deciding to make its content free on its homepage in September 2006. (Mediaweek)

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