Well this just tears it.
The Boston Herald reported Friday morning that The Boston Globe will begin charging for readers to access content on its website, boston.com.
Globe publisher P. Steven Ainsley gave the news to the union's bosses Thursday and the New York Times Co., who still owns the Boston paper, confirmed it.
Globe spokesman Bob Powers said they are trying to generate more revenue and this is just one way of doing it.
There have been some reports circulating (via Bruce Allen on Twitter) that the San Diego Union-Tribune owner placed a $35 million bid on the paper. Beverly Hills based Platinum Equity, bought the Union-Tribune in May.
However there are also reports that the Times is in no hurry to sell the Globe.
Great, so if looks like I'm pretty much screwed and will have to end up "subscribing online" in order to access all of my Globe articles. And if any of you want to read them you're going to have to pay as well and you probably won't.
Of course I conveniently have all of my articles available in hard copies like every good reporter should do just in case, but usually it's the other way around.
Once the fee takes effect, the Globe will not be the first newspaper to charge for access.
Some local papers in Western Massachusetts including The Springfield Republican and the Daily Hampshire Gazette charge access to certain articles. The Republican's are free until the story is old enough to be dubbed an archive, then readers cannot read the full story unless they pay to do so.
Bigger newspapers that currently charge are the Wall Street Journal and next on the list will include The New York Post, The Times of London and The Sun, a British tabloid.
Were the budget cuts, benefits, and elimination of lifetime job guarantees not enough?
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