"Quality journalism is not cheap," Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday.
The upshot is that his titles prestigious and big, from the Times of London to News of the World, will be charging for online content by next year at this time. The free ride is ending and Murdoch is signalling his intention to enforce his copyright on material.
"We'll be asserting our copyright at every point," he told the Guardian.
At the moment only his Wall Street Journal charges for online content --- although it also makes some content freely available. But Murdoch, like all proprietors feeling the impact of the recession on advertising, believes there is revenue in subscription.
He points to some of his tabloids, like The Sun and News of the World, and concludes that even their celebrity scoops are going to be attractive for subscriptions.
The upshot is that his titles prestigious and big, from the Times of London to News of the World, will be charging for online content by next year at this time. The free ride is ending and Murdoch is signalling his intention to enforce his copyright on material.
"We'll be asserting our copyright at every point," he told the Guardian.
At the moment only his Wall Street Journal charges for online content --- although it also makes some content freely available. But Murdoch, like all proprietors feeling the impact of the recession on advertising, believes there is revenue in subscription.
He points to some of his tabloids, like The Sun and News of the World, and concludes that even their celebrity scoops are going to be attractive for subscriptions.
