Publisher Patrick J. Purcell yesterday announced the Boston Herald's intention to erect a paywall to access its online content as early as next year, the Boston Globe reported today. He acknowledged, however, that the success of such a venture rested on a joint effort.

"If the Globe doesn't do it, then it would be hard for us to do it,'' Purcell told the Herald. The Herald's last attempt to charge a fee for online content in 2001 did not meet with success. Twitter comments today discussed the move, with a majority of users stating that paying for The Herald online is largely unfavorable.