• Columbia Journalism Review, Sunday, September 13, 2009 9:43 PM

Unlike other struggling, papers, The Financial Times newspaper has almost doubled its subscription prices and is successfully charging for online content. CEO John Ridding, explains that the paper is enjoying the benefits of a strategy it launched three years ago to build up content revenue by developing new print and online products in specialist areas around the core brand.

FT seeks to differentiate itself by the kind of content it offers as well as the quality of its journalism. "Being different and distinctive gives you pricing power. And it doesn't have to be the whole publication. You can make part of the content free and then some premium chargeable content," Ridding says.

FT's paid-for model is very flexible. Online readers basically get three stories a month before they have to register and 10 stories a month before they have to subscribe. "In the U.S., there is a feeling that information should be free, but the U.S. is our fastest-growing market [in terms of] people subscribing online," says Ridding.

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