LAST RESORTS

Saving The New York Times

Experts say the paper must charge for content now.

The debate over how best to save the ailing newspaper industry continues. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that experts are exhorting the New York Times to resume charging for its content. The paper's site is seen as "a test case" for the rest of the news industry as it tries to figure out how to turn a profit online. The Times has the conundrum of having the largest readership in its history combined with shrinking revenue. Executive editor Bill Keller stated last week that there is an ongoing "lively, deadly serious discussion" over once again charging for content. The subscription model en vogue these days is a micropayment system, in which readers would be charged small amounts for each article.