Murdoch to charge for access to his news sites; Tabloid Baby "has no plans to charge readers for our exclusive content"

Rupert Murdoch said today that News Corp will start charging for access to all its news sites across his media empire.

“Quality journalism is not cheap,” Mr Murdoch said. “An industry that gives away its content is simply cannibalising its ability to produce good reporting.”


Murdoch was scant on details for such business models today, which could include online subscriptions, charging fees to read single stories and selling content on new platforms such as mobile reading devices. (We tried to read the New Yorker's Michael Savage article online today and found we had to be a paid subscriber. We'll findit somewhere else).

Tabloid Baby, which will soon announce major innovations on its web operation, has no plans to charge readers for our exclusive content.

Spokesman Sam Peters (above) said, "Mr. Murdoch is the innovator. If anyone's going to make the transition from print newspapers to the Internet age the boys here hav ebeen pioneering and make sure reporters get salaries, it'll be him. We'll see how the Boss fares and we know that once Murdoch starts charging, the days of free mainstream news sites on the Web will soon be over. But we'll be looking to advertisers, not the punters, to pay the bills."