News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch said Thursday that most of The Wall Street Journal‘s online content will remain available only to subscribers, according to a blog item from the World Economic Forum by Journal staff writer Emily Steel.
Steel wrote, “Speculation that News Corp. would make WSJ.com a completely free site had been rife in recent months, since Mr. Murdoch had signaled he was contemplating lifting the subscription wall. Mr. Murdoch had indicated that lifting the pay wall could broaden the Journal’s online audience and boost its Web advertising revenue, offsetting any loss in subscription revenues.
“Mr. Murdoch made his comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in answer to a question.
“‘We are going to greatly expand and improve the free part of the Wall Street Journal online, but there will still be a strong offering’ for subscribers, Mr. Murdoch said. ‘The really special things will still be a subscription service, and, sorry to tell you, probably more expensive.'”
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