• Business Week, Monday, August 13, 2007 11:30 AM

Dow Jones buyer Rupert Murdoch has said he wants to see The Wall Street Journal forgo its $65 million subscription business in order to reach more people. While many Web critics applaud the proposed switch, newspaper purists say the come-one-come-all approach won't generate the usage or ad revenue to justify it.

Murdoch disagrees, saying it's the right move long-term. WSJ.com is one of the few (moderate)success stories in the pay-for-news business. British business pubs like the Economist and the Financial Times also have online subscription services, but have been less successful. The reason, per USAToday.com managing editor Chet Czarniak, is that since "so much content is free...if you put a price tag on it, there is a good chance someone will go elsewhere."

An ad-support-only model would succeed for the same reason the newspaper's subscription service has: its reputation. The WSJ is the most important English-language business publication, a title the paper is in danger of losing by closing its doors to non-paying users. Indeed, some analysts say it could increase its 2.6 million monthly uniques by as much as 10 million in a relatively short time.

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