Jason Preston's latest posting in Eat Sleep Publish suggests a firewall of sorts should resurface at news sites.
He suggests that it's possible to have metered access for a select but loyal cohort. While there are many who will simply give over their eyeballs, there are others more willing to part with money.
He notes: "There is a statistically significant portion of your online audience that would be willing to support your product - the way to capture the fish but not the dolphins, if you’ll excuse the metaphor, is to meter your content." He suggests the market is large enough to make for an effective business model that keeps subscription revenue in the mix. It's a particularly important encouragement as newspapers see advertising dollars diminish in the transformation of the audience to digital.
His conclusion: "Have faith; your fans will support you."