Explore Brand Republic

Wall Street Journal starts on road to free access

by Staff, Brand Republic 10-Jan-08, 14:50

NEW YORK - The Wall Street Journal is to offer free online access to all of its editorials, op-eds, video interviews and commentary, just weeks after it was acquired by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

WSJ.com initially pioneered paid-for access, but with Murdoch's acquisition it was expected that there would be more free access.

The decision means the merger of the free website, opinionjournal.com, into the WSJ.com/opinion site, affecting US and international content, book reviews, leisure and arts. Each of their URLs will remain.

The video content will be taken from the WSJ's weekly show on Fox, the Journal Editorial Report.

In a piece in today's editorial and opinion section, the WSJ said: "We're delighted to offer our worldwide readers access to our message of free people and free markets -- for free. And we hope you'll pay a visit."

News Corp finalised its purchase of Dow Jones & Co, owner of the Wall Street Journal, in December. It paid $5.6bn for the company and had to overcome fierce resistance from some quarters of the Bancroft family, who owned it. News Corp has made guarantees that it will preserve the paper's editorial independence.

The change at the Wall Street Journal, which in November said it had signed up its one millionth subscriber, led rival the Financial Times to offer limited free access to users.

FT.com now allows users to read articles and access data for up to a maximum of 30 views a month.