They've talked about it for years, but it's finally happened.
They've also posted a FAQ page on the changes
Early on we'd heard that the Globe planned to keep all sports content free to all readers. But in comparing the sports sections today of Boston.com and BostonGlobe.com, I spotted two Patriots articles that are posted only at the latter site:
Tom Brady, Patriots chomping at the bit
Scouting the 2011 Patriots: What does this team have?
I wish the Globe well with their business model, but I don't plan to subscribe and I doubt this will have a huge effect on my ability to stay informed on the teams I follow. We've been at least a couple decades into a steady decline in the quality of sports coverage at this paper. While I might miss reading Bob Ryan or certain feature stories, I'm not exactly going to get depressed about losing access to Shank, Cafardo or Shalise Manza-Young. And considering how the Globe and other papers will continue to be revolving doors for low-wage, fresh-out-of-college journalists, the best of whom will ultimately move on to multimedia gigs, I'm even less fearful of missing anything critical.
The Boston Globe today launches a new subscription-only website, BostonGlobe.com, betting that readers will be willing to pay for an online product that offers an innovative, inviting reading experience that is the only gateway to all of the Globe's journalism.
BostonGlobe.com will combine the newspaper's print stories with breaking news on a site designed for customers who want premium content they can read on multiple devices, from computers to tablets to smartphones.
For the rest of September, BostonGlobe.com will be free, but after that readers will have to pay $3.99 a week for a digital-only subscription. Home delivery subscribers will not have to pay extra for the site but will need to register online to gain access.
The newspaper's existing site, Boston.com, will remain free and will offer breaking news, blogs, photo galleries, sports coverage, and a limited selection of stories from the paper.
Other major newspapers have also started to charge for online content as readers and advertisers continue migrating to the Internet, cutting into the print revenue that pays for a large percentage of newsgathering operations. Particularly notable has been The New York Times, which requires a subscription to gain access to more than 20 stories per month.
The strategy at the Globe, which is owned by The New York Times Co., is unique because the paper has decided to split its news brands - Boston.com and The Boston Globe - into two distinct websites.
They've also posted a FAQ page on the changes
Early on we'd heard that the Globe planned to keep all sports content free to all readers. But in comparing the sports sections today of Boston.com and BostonGlobe.com, I spotted two Patriots articles that are posted only at the latter site:
Tom Brady, Patriots chomping at the bit
Scouting the 2011 Patriots: What does this team have?
I wish the Globe well with their business model, but I don't plan to subscribe and I doubt this will have a huge effect on my ability to stay informed on the teams I follow. We've been at least a couple decades into a steady decline in the quality of sports coverage at this paper. While I might miss reading Bob Ryan or certain feature stories, I'm not exactly going to get depressed about losing access to Shank, Cafardo or Shalise Manza-Young. And considering how the Globe and other papers will continue to be revolving doors for low-wage, fresh-out-of-college journalists, the best of whom will ultimately move on to multimedia gigs, I'm even less fearful of missing anything critical.