New York Times to charge for online content

It's a sign of troubled times. The New York Times announced Wednesday that it will charge frequent visitors for access to its website.  Newspapers around the country have been hotly debating this issue in recent years as the fortunes of the industry have declined.

The Wall Street Journal used to have a subscription-only service, but now the bulk of its content is free for readers who visit the site. The New York Times' plan is still shaping up, but readers will get a certain number of articles for free each month before being charged a flat fee for unlimited access.

"This announcement allows us to begin the thought process that's going to answer so many of the questions that we all care about, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the company chairman and publisher of the newspaper, said. "We can't get this halfway right or three-quarters of the way right. We have to get this really, really right."

It's likely to be the first step for charging for all sorts of content, and it may eventually impact your bottom line. Should you be charging for online services? Should customers be charged for ordering items online? These are some of the consumer-oriented questions that IT departments may soon be facing. 

For more on the New York Times:
- see this New York Times article 

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