I have witnessed that many of you over the years are devoted New York Times readers and while it is not one of my favorite daily reads, I wanted to let you know about a change in their internet based business model that is launching very soon, March 28 to be exact.

I know at least a few customers who have gone to reading the paper online in the past year or two out of conservation principles, convenience or both.

You can get a fuller explanation in the article below from All Things Digital (technology blog of the Wall St. Journal).

http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20110317/apple-gets-its-first-big-publisher-new-york-times-paywall-will-be-sold-through-itunes/?mod=ATD_rss

However, if you want to read the Times in its full glory on the internet, you need to sign up for a subscription that will cost you $15 per month.   You will still be able to read 5 articles for free per day or 20 articles per month without paying.  How will they know?   I believe they are tracking you by your IP address.  They know!   There will also be iPad / iPhone subscription plans and a more expensive plan that covers all of your devices.

My thoughts:  This is the way the news business is going and we need to embrace it.  The free / ad supported web model does not generate enough revenue to cover quality journalism.  Writers and editors have to get paid.  More and more people are moving away from home delivery and reading their news online.   The business model used by the Hartford Courant where all print articles are free online, is not sustainable.  Many more news organizations will follow the lead of the Times.