NY Times is putting Wirecutter behind a paywall

The New York Times is putting its consumer product and technology site Wirecutter behind a paywall costing $40 a year, reports Patience Haggin of The Wall Street Journal.

Haggin reports, “At launch, readers will get 10 free Wirecutter articles a month before being asked to pay for a subscription. Only a small proportion of Wirecutter’s readership currently reads more than 10 articles a month, said Linda Li, Wirecutter’s general manager. A small percentage of users visit the site more than 50 times a month. Ms. Li said the site will experiment with the free-article threshold.

“The Times will make some Wirecutter articles free periodically ‘if they provide strong public service,’ said a Times spokeswoman. For instance, Wirecutter’s coverage of air purifiers will be in front of the paywall when the subscription product launches amid the wildfires in the western U.S., the spokeswoman said.

“Up until now, Wirecutter has generated revenue primarily through affiliate partnerships with online sellers, including Amazon.com Inc. When a consumer follows a link on the site to purchase a product, Wirecutter receives a commission on the sale. Those affiliate relationships will continue, providing a way to monetize nonsubscribers.”

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