NEW YORK - Visitors to websites of News Corp.’s newspapers will have to pay to read the news within the next year, chairman Rupert Murdoch said.
It’s risky for the company because fees could drive away customers and advertisers.
“You don’t want to be the first guy to put up a big pay wall when all other roads to content are open,’’ said Ken Doctor, a media analyst. Yet it is a move many news outlets will closely watch as they, too, consider charging.
Among News Corp.’s stable of dailies is The New York Post and The Times of London. News Corp. already charges for some access to The Wall Street Journal’s website. But the plan is a reversal for Murdoch, who talked about throwing open the Journal’s paid site when his company took over the newspaper in 2008.
There is a growing urgency at News Corp. and elsewhere, though, to do something to stem the decline in ad revenue. News Corp. lost $203 million in the most recent quarter.
Murdoch gave few details on News Corp.’s new approach.
“The Wall Street Journal’s WSJ.com is the world’s most successful paid news site,’’ he said. “We will be using our profitable experience there . . . to increase our revenues from all our content.’’
Asked how News Corp. will keep readers from jumping to free news, he said, “I believe that if we are successful, we will be followed by other media.’’