Kieren McCarthy at The Register: The end of universal free news content has finally come:

The Guardian yesterday announced that it was going to start charging for online services, making it the last UK broadsheet newspaper to install a paid-for element on its website.

…Simon Waldman, the Guardian director of digital publishing, told us the move was a first step into understanding the market for paid-for content. “When it comes to newspapers on the Web, people want two things,” he told us. “A live up-to-minute extension of the paper, and a replica of the newspaper.”

You need to read, half-way thru the article, to discover it is only for a few extras and not The Guardian’s articles – which will remain free.

However, The Register does takes note of the entire UK online newspaper scene, and it will be an eye opener for some. I don’t think so here in America where many, if not most, well known newspapers already charge for some online services.