Readers not ready to pay for online news

Dubai: International newspapers such as The New York Times have announced that their readers will be charged to access online material, leading to mixed results from media professionals and users.

Readers in the UAE shared their opinions with Gulf News about the move towards paid-for digital news content.

"There are three types of people who read the newspaper: the one who only reads business news, the one who thoroughly reads the entire newspaper for general knowledge, and the one who just browses and looks for what he or she needs," Murugesh Sambasadhasivam, 48, told Gulf News, when asked about whether people would be willing to pay for online newspapers.

The Indian national said he would be willing to pay for newspaper articles online because "it's contributing to the environment [by saving paper]. Technology is so modern now and we need to catch up."

Tim Crowe, a 47-year-old British business consultant, said that he would not be willing to pay for online newspaper articles because "there are plenty of online sites that provide news. I would consider it if [a site] became the only source or option."

Crowe believes that if a reader is loyal to certain news organisations, they might be interested in paying for the service, but online news readers are more likely to simply switch sources.

Pakistani Najeeb Makhdoom, 39, agreed that he would not pay because "online newspaper articles are able to make enough money out of advertising so they don't need to charge additional money."

He said: "If the newspaper is entirely online, that is a different story, but if it is just an additional way to access news, I don't think people will pay for it."

Makhdoom explained that with "plenty of free online sources that are constantly updated people will not pay for it, unless the news provided is specific or exclusive."