WSJ.com lifts some pay barriers

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on January 11, 2008 at 11:33 PM

The Wall Street Journal is edging closer to a free online model, allowing users to look at paid-for content on its Web site, including opinion pieces, editorials and video interviews for free.

The move away from WSJ.com's paid subscription model by new owner Rupert Murdoch was described by the paper Thursday as being “as close as we'll get to conceding there is such a thing as a free lunch,” MediaGuardian reported.

WSJ.com's opinion section will also merge with free site OpinionJournal.com, Brand Republic reported.

Lifting the paid wall on the site's opinion section is a “smart hybrid move” that will allow the Wall Street Journal's columnists to compete in the blog world as well, like so many competitors, such as New York Times writers, MediaGuardian reported.

The WSJ.com's paid subscription service was launched in 2000.

For a previous article on this topic, visit our partner site, Editorsweblog.org.