Is it too late to charge for online news?

Online news providers who wish to start charging their readers may find that it is now too late after years of offering free content, one sector commentator has claimed.

Businesses could find that including targeted news is an effective way of boosting their search engine optimisation campaign.

However, Ben Camm-Jones, news editor at Web User, warns that the only publications which will be able to get away with charging people to read their content are niche titles, with the Wall Street Journal already doing so for some of its articles.

"[But] If the content isn't different enough from the competition then no one will pay, they'll just go straight to the free stuff," he added.

Mr Camm-Jones explained that surfers have now had access to free news for some ten years and will not be expecting that to change.

His comments come after an iPhone app for the Guardian that costs £2.39 and allows users to view all recent guardian.co.uk content was announced by mobile enabling technology provider 2ergo this week.

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