New York Times to Charge for Some Web Content in 2011

New York Times Co. will begin charging users for some content on its namesake Web site in 2011, its second attempt in four years to make online readers pay amid slumping circulation and advertising sales.

The New York-based publisher said in a statement today that it will give users access to a set number of articles a month for free on NYTimes.com and charge a fee for further reading. Subscribers to the New York Times print edition won't be charged for Web access. The so-called metered model mirrors that of the Financial Times, owned by London-based Pearson, which allows users to access 10 free articles monthly before charging at least $3.59 weekly to continue. The Web site of News Corp.'s Wall Street Journal is subscription-based.